Red Sox Announce Playoff Rotation
BOSTON (CBS) - Red Sox manager John Farrell announced his rotation for the ALDS on Wednesday. The Sox will face the Tampa Bay Rays after they beat the Cleveland Indians in the Wild Card game Wednesday night.
As expected, Jon Lester will get the start in Game 1 of the American League Divisional Series for the Red Sox, scheduled for Friday afternoon at 3:07 p.m. at Fenway Park. He'll be followed by John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Jake Peavy for Boston.
Lester went 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 33 starts this season, leading Boston in wins, innings pitched (213.1) and strikeouts (177). While he struggled in the month of June, going 2-2 with a 7.62 ERA, Lester was stellar following the All Star Break. Lester went 7-2 with a 2.57 ERA and holding opposing hitters to a .242 average over 13 starts after the mid-summer classic, and was even better in the season's final month.
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In September, Lester finished the season 3-0 record and 2.57 ERA in five starts.
Lackey will follow Lester and get the ball in Saturday's Game 2. The right-hander finished the season 10-13 in 29 starts, leading Red Sox starters with a 3.52 ERA.
It was a tale of two seasons for Lackey in terms of pitching at Fenway and on the road. Lackey went 6-3 with a 2.47 ERA at Fenway, while going 4-10 with a 4.48 ERA in 16 road starts. Opposing batters hit .260 off Lackey on the road, while just .232 at home this season.
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Buchholz gets the nod in Game 3 on Monday in Tampa Bay after finishing his 2013 season with a 12-1 record and a 1.74 ERA. Buchholz missed 94 days with a shoulder injury during the season, but went 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his return in September.
Jake Peavy, who the Red Sox acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline, will get the start in Game 4 on Tuesday. He went 4-1 with a 4.04 ERA in 10 starts with Boston and 12-5 overall for the season.
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Both Buchholz and Peavy threw in Boston's six-inning simulated game at Fenway Park on Wednesday.
