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WORLD SERIES GAME 1 MATCHUP NOTES |
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JEFF FRANCIS (ROCKIES) VS. JOSH BECKETT (RED SOX) |
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Rockies hitters who match up well vs. Beckett |
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| Garrett Atkins | Hard to do much better than Atkins did earlier this year against the Red Sox ace. He took 4 swings and ended up with three hits, including a home run and a double. |
| Matt Holliday | 6-for-14 lifetime against Beckett and 2-for-3 (double, HR) against him this season. Holliday has hit Beckett's fastball in all locations -- in, middle, and away. |
| Kaz Matsui | He battled Beckett hard, seeing 18 pitches in three at-bats while going 2-for-3 with a double earlier in the year. Matsui also has a way of showing up against A+ right-handers. Check out his career numbers versus John Smoltz and Brandon Webb, for example: 23-for-53 (.434). |
Rockies hitters who could struggle |
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| Willy Taveras | He may have a bunt-single up his sleeve, but that may be all he can do against Beckett, who held him to an 0-for-3 day without his best stuff back in June. |
| Troy Tulowitzki | The highly-regarded shortstop has struggled in the playoffs offensively with 10 K's and hit just .213 (17-for-80) against fastballs in Beckett's velocity range this season. |
| Ryan Spilborghs | Got the start against Beckett in their regular season matchup, but did not make solid contact in 3 at-bats against him. |
Red Sox hitters who match up well vs. Francis |
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| Manny Ramirez | Hit 2 balls hard in 3 at-bats against Francis this season and was 11-for-22 against changeups from left-handers. Francis uses his changeup 24 percent of the time to right-handed batters. |
| Jason Varitek | The Sox catcher doesn't do particularly well against other slow-throwing lefties with good changeups, but he did go 2-for-3 against Francis this season. |
| J.D. Drew | He was 0-for-3 against Francis earlier in the year, but Drew currently has Fenway karma on his side and he led Sox hitters with a .464 slugging percentage against pitchers who are similar to Francis. |
Red Sox hitters who could struggle |
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| David Ortiz | Big Papi may not struggle, but he may not get much to hit either. Francis hit him with a pitch and walked him in 3 PA's this season. Also, left-handed 3 and 4-hole hitters batted .230 against Francis this season. |
| Kevin Youkilis | Francis is one of 4 pitchers to strike Youkilis out twice in three or less at-bats this season. Watch this matchup closely -- Francis threw only 4 fastballs to the Sox first baseman in 13 total pitches when they met in June. Youkilis made outs on every pitch in Francis' arsenal (fastball, curve, and change). |
| Mike Lowell | He was 1-for-3 against Francis this season, but the Rockies starter did not mix things up very much (80 percent fastball). Lowell's well-hit average against lefty off-speed pitches this season was .164 (10-for-61). |