Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox Open 2009 MLB Season

The Boston Red Sox are set to take on the Tampa Bay Rays just one day after the game was postponed for bad weather. It is an exciting match-up to begin the season for both of these teams, as both found themselves competing against each other in the 2008 American League Championship Series.

The Boston Red Sox ace, Josh Beckett, will take to the mound against the Rays. Beckett, who has made four opening day starts over the course of his career, will look to start the season strong. In 2008, Beckett had a 12-10 record with a 4.03 ERA in 27 starts. He struck out 172 and walked only 34. Beckett's numbers were a bit of a drop-off from his breakout season in 2007.

The Rays will counter with one of their top two pitchers in James Shields. Shields has established himself as one of the American League's premier starters, and some may consider him to be a better pitcher than Beckett himself. Over the past two seasons, Shields has proved his durability as well, pitching over 200 innings over the past two seasons.

A key player to watch out for in today's match-up is Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays. Longoria was a driving force behind the Ray's astounding playoff run last season. He has nice power and has established himself as a young star slugger-a true face of the franchise, if there ever was one.

The Red Sox have one of the most dangerous lineups around, and fans should keep an eye out for second baseman Dustin Pedroia and designated hitter David Ortiz. Pedroia, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, has a stellar batting eye and great overall batting skills. Ortiz is a slugger who is still a threat to hit one out of the ballpark at any time.

In my opinion, the Red Sox have the slight edge in today's match-up. Beckett and Shields are two elite starters on their own, but the home field Fenway advantage should benefit the Red Sox greatly. Look for them to be energized and play extremely hard to get the home team the win today.

One big factor into today's match-up could be the strength of the Red Sox bullpen. If Beckett does not go seven or eight innings, look out for Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon to have a significant impact on the game. All in all, this is the most intriguing post-Opening Day match-up.

Stats reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beckejo02.shtml?redir