Online wagering companies are getting ready for the start of the baseball regular season.
The opener of the season is on Sunday, April 4th and those making an online wager will see two of the marquee teams in baseball as the New York Yankees face the Boston Red Sox.
Online wagering companies list Josh Beckett as the starting pitcher in that game for Boston while New York counters with CC Sabathia. The Red Sox are going to start the season with a five-man rotation. After Beckett it will be Jon Lester and John Lackey. Tim Wakefield gets the number four spot while Clay Buchholz is the number five starter. That will change later in April when Daisuke Matsuzaka returns but for the first two weeks of the season that is how Boston will look.
The Red Sox don’t have to use Buchholz right away though. After Wakefield goes against Kansas City it will be Beckett starting on five days rest. Those making an online wager will notice that Buchholz will get the start on Sunday, April 11th and then it will be Lester on five days rest. Lackey will go on six days rest followed by Wakefield. It is a unique format for the first two weeks of the season since Wakefield and Buchholz will both pitch while the rest of the rotation will get extra rest. “I think it’s a lot of relief for the five guys in the rotation to have a clear picture, of once the season begins, where they are going to be starting and who they are going to be going against,” pitching coach John Farrell said, “We still have a lot of work left in spring training, but there is always that spring training, plus what they did for us last year and in previous years.” The Red Sox open with three against the Yankees. Beckett starts the opener while Lester goes in game two and Lackey in game three. The Red Sox then host the Royals for three with Wakefield, Beckett and Buchholz getting the starts. They then face the Twins with Lester, Lackey and Wakefield the starters.
Another team announced their starting rotation. The Chicago Cubs will be going with a five man rotation. Carlos Zambrano will be on the board at online wagering companies for the opener. He will be followed by Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells. Tom Gorzelanny and Carlos Silva have the other two spots. That will change when Ted Lilly returns from injury.