Baseball In The Daytime: 6-10-08

In the beginning, there was no BITD on this Tuesday. But lo, through the intervention of the Gods of Baseball, a game was rescheduled. We thus have a contest commencing prior to when we get off work. And by "we" I mean the fine gents in the Mountain and Pacific time zones who toil at 9-to-5 gigs.

So rejoice, congregants, and give thanks and praise to the Creator and his disciples. There is baseball, sweet glorious baseball, on tap today.

Baltimore @ Boston, 4:05 Mountain I don't have the slightest clue as to why this one got bumped up an hour. (Update: Now I do.) But like Bob Knight once said, if something is inevitable, you may as well just relax and enjoy it.

A couple of nasty-stuff-wielding pitchers start today in Daniel Cabrera of the O's and Josh Beckett of the Sox. One might think that "stuff" was their only similarity, since Beckett is a two-time World Series winner while Cabrera is a model of mediocrity with his 45-51 career record. But you'd best hold up with those assumptions there, son. Beckett has been hovering dangerously close to his disappointing 2006 numbers, especially in HR allowed. He's yielded 11 jacks this season after only 17 all of last year. That's good for 1.35 per nine, after .76/9 IP in '07 (his '06 rate was 1.58/9 IP).

But still, he's the ace, and he does pitch with those bloodshot stoner eyes and kill deers good to boot. So root, root, root for the home team and go Play Ball!