While all this is going on in the Twin Cities, the Boston Red Sox will host Johnny Damon and his teammates for an unusual 5-game weekend tilt. The Red Sox must make a move this weekend or they are in serious jeopardy of being on the outside looking in come October.
The White Sox are staring at a brutal 9-game stretch as they leave Minnesota on Sunday and head straight to Motown, then back to the South Side for another three against the Twinkies! If you ask me, now's the time to take advantage of all the online sports betting out there.
Minnesota will play 22 of their remaining 42 games against teams above .500 while the White Sox, 25 of 42, and the Red Sox have the toughest haul at 29 of 43. The scary part of the Yanks-Sox series is that Boston will turn to Jason Johnson (3-11, 6.26), loser of seven straight decisions, who will make his sixth start for the Red Sox in the opener. He didn't receive a decision in his last outing, giving up seven runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings of Boston's 8-7 loss to the Orioles on Saturday.
The right-hander was pounded for six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-1 loss to the Yankees on June 14 while pitching for Cleveland. He is 2-9 with a 6.03 ERA in 17 starts against New York. If those numbers aren't an invitation to start , I don't know what is.
The Yankees, on the other hand, will hand the ball to Sidney Ponson who has overstayed his welcome in several cities before landing in the Bronx. Ponson (4-5, 5.82 ERA) will come out of the bullpen and start the nightcap. Ponson, who briefly held the fifth starter's spot after being picked up in mid-July last pitched Friday when he threw three innings of relief against Los Angeles. He gave up three runs and five hits in New York's 7-4 defeat.
Ponson's last start came July 23 at Toronto where he allowed six runs in just 2 1-3 innings of a 13-5 loss.
He has struggled badly in his career against the Red Sox going 3-10 with a 6.37 ERA in 18 starts. He went 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against them last year while pitching for Baltimore.
