Youk & Froto are the Key
It's been said a lot, but if Youk and Froto Pedroia can get on base, it most likely will be another win tonight for the Red Sox. You have to love the 1, 2 punch of these guys, I mean they're the prototypical Red Sox players. They're weird, they're dirty, they're unorthodox, and they're freaking good. If these two were fantasy characters Pedroia would obviously be a hobbit and Youk would be a viking dwarf. I love these guys. Take a look below at each of the Red Sox playoff wins this year and tell me Youk and Froto aren't pivotal, especially the last few games.
World Series Game 1 - 3/10, 3 RBI, 2 BB
ALCS Game 7 - 6/10, 7 RBI, 5 R, 0 BB
ALCS Game 6 - 5/8, 1 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB
ALCS Game 5 - 4/8, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
ALCS Game 1 - 3/8, 0 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB
ALDS Game 3 - 2/8, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
ALDS Game 2 - 1/9, 0 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB
ALDS Game 1 - 2/8, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB
If you're looking for a good article on these two check out this NY Time article (thanks to J9).
The Big Schill Shall Thrill
Curt Schilling, like Josh Beckett, is a big game pitcher. Both aces are at different points of their respective careers right now, with Beckett entering his prime, and with Schilling reinventing himslef as a location pitcher. The big difference here is they both have that "it" factor. The boys just seem to take themselves to a higher level when playing in big games, and neither seems to really disappoint.
People seem to think Schilling hasn't been Schilling this post season, however the numbers don't lie. He hasn't been lights out, and yes he had one bad outing, but he's had two useful and effective starts, and especially in Game 6 of the ALCS.
The biggest thng about the above stats, is that Schilling is not, much like Beckett, giving up free bases with walks. If you're going to beat Schilling you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way, and that's with hits.
MVN Outsider Radio Interviews Derek & SawxBlog About Series
I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Brandon Rosage on Outsider Radio today over at MVN.com and it should be available to download and listen to via Podcast later tonight. They do some great stuff over at MVN and I suggest you make it a part of your daily routine and subscribe to the Podcast. - Source: Adapted from www.sawxblog.com