Hours after being shut out by young Red Sox hurler Jon Lester, the Phillies face another ballyhooed Boston pitcher in Justin Masterson. The rookie has gone 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA and just under a strikeout per inning in five starts; as a sinkerballing strikeout pitcher, he seems like a guy who could give the Phils trouble. The key could be patience; Masterson has walked 15 in his 31 innings this season.
Kyle Kendrick faces a Red Sox lineup without David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez or Kevin Youkilis, meaning that Boston might look to play some small ball with Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Coco Crisp and Julio Lugo. The Sox stole a franchise-record six bases against the Phillies Tuesday night; oddly, catcher Carlos Ruiz is in the lineup again today after struggling to curtail Boston's running game. Maybe it's a shot at redemption; maybe Chris Coste has a cold.