Diamondbacks Preview

Who's on first.
What's on second.
I don't know's on third.

The Red Sox travel to Dillsburg on Sunday, July 15 to take on the Diamondbacks at 2:00 p.m.

The weather forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms, with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 60s.

Both teams have been hot, too. The D-backs are 5-2 and in second place in their division. The Red Sox are in first place in their division, a game up on the Dodgers and Astros.

The battery for the Sox is set with Mike Craig on the hill and Lance Strous behind the plate as usual. John Lindholm in centerfield and Matt LaBuda at shortstop will provide their usual strong defense up the middle. Beyond that, things are a little unsettled. With Matt Eckenrode expecting a baby, and a few other guys on vacation or otherwise occupied, the rest of the defense will have to be shuffled a little bit. Look for Kirk Strous to continue to get the job done, whether at third base or in leftfield. The big questions are whether Dave Strock is ready to do battle again at second base, and whether the Sox can fill the hole at shortstop if LaBuda is called on to pitch. Sure-handed infielder Tim Wendel has vowed to make it to the game if at all possible to give a boost to the defense.

The Sox have had hot bats all year. They've scored in double digits in each of their last four games, and six times overall. Lindholm has been consistently setting the table, with an on base percentage of .600, and Strock and the brothers Strous have been supplying most of the power. Greg Williams returns to the lineup after a few weeks off, looking to join in the fun, and Bart Miller has been heating up lately.

The Sox have jumped out to an early lead in most of their games, but have had trouble pulling away in the middle innings. Against a tough team on Sunday, with some key players missing, they'll have to keep the pressure on the D-Backs for a full 9 innings.

Play ball!