Preview of Thursday's Games (7/7)

New York Mets @ Nationals
Game Time: 1:05 p.m.
Location: RFK Stadium

Standings
NYM: 42-42 (5th in NL East, 9 behind Washington)
WAS: 51-33 (1st in NL East, 4 ahead of Atlanta)

Pitching Match-up
NYM: Kris Benson (6-3, 3.75 ERA) Throws Right
WAS: Tony Armas Jr. (4-4, 5.27 ERA) Throws Right

The Nats look to avoid a series loss to the last place Mets this afternoon, and they will have to do it against a very solid pitcher.

Throwing for the Mets today is Kris Benson, who has won three of his last four decisions and six of his last eight.

The Nationals will turn to Tony Armas Jr., who has struggled this season but pitched well in his last start, a 4-2 win over the Cubs.



Boston Red Sox @ Orioles
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Standings
BOS: 48-35 (1st in AL East, 4 ahead of Baltimore)
BAL: 44-39 (2nd in AL East, 4 behind Boston, 0.5 ahead of New York)

Pitching Match-up
BOS: David Wells (6-4, 5.04 ERA) Throws Left
BAL: Daniel Cabrera (6-7, 5.07 ERA) Throws Right

This is it.

Four games between Boston and Baltimore for first place in the American League East, and a four game series starting tonight.

The struggling Orioles would be able to almost completely forget about their recent tough stretch if they could come up huge in this weekend series against the Red Sox that leads into the All-Star break.

Tonight the Orioles send Daniel Cabrera, who dominated in his last start, a 4-0 win against the Cleveland Indians on July 2 in which he gave up four hits in seven innings. Prior to the game, he and pitching coach Ray Miller had been working on a new windup that is meant to hide the ball better. The new windup will be put to the test tonight against the slugging Red Sox.

The Red Sox send a familiar face for Orioles fans, "Boomer" David Wells.

Wells has struggled this year, and his last three starts have not looked good: four runs in five innings against Cleveland, five runs in five innings against Philadelphia and four runs in 6.2 innings against Toronto. Despite his struggles, the Sox have won seven straight Wells starts (although he's only gotten credit for four of those wins).

Curt Schilling, another former Oriole, will be in the bullpen for the Red Sox as closer Keith Foulke has gone on the disabled list. Schilling is still trying to get healthy after suffering a bone bruise in his right ankle.