Dice-K Needs to Get it Going

Dice-K will have to pitch very well to get the win in tonight’s game because the Red Sox are facing a red hot pitcher in Rick Porcello:

1.50 ERA during his current five-game winning streak. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that makes Porcello — at 20 years, 151 days old — the second-youngest pitcher in Major League history to go 5-0 with an ERA of 1.50 or better in any five-start span (the Mets’ Dwight Gooden went 5-0 with a 1.43 ERA in five starts at age 19 in 1984)

Matsuzaka is still looking for his first win of the season and has an ERA over 8. If he can’t get it going tonight there are likely to be rumblings about bringing up Buchholz or allowing Smoltz to take his place in the rotation. If Dice-K and Big Papi can get it going the Red Sox will be in the drivers seat but if they both continue their epic struggles Theo is going to have to make some tough choices.