--RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka was suffering from some shoulder fatigue during his abbreviated Tuesday night start, and he is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his pitching shoulder in Boston on Friday. Matsuzaka will travel with the team to Baltimore before departing for Boston, and he may miss at least one start due to the shoulder problem. The Sox have pushed RHP Justin Masterson up to a Thursday night start for Class AAA Pawtucket, and the youngster could be called upon to take Matsuzaka's place in the rotation.
--1B Kevin Youkilis missed his third consecutive start with soreness in the top of his right hand, but he did make a pinch-running appearance in the top of the ninth inning. Boston's coaching staff is hopeful that erring on the side of caution with their first baseman -- along with Thursday's off-day -- will allow Youkilis to return to the lineup in Baltimore on Friday. --2B Dustin Pedroia has played in all 56 of Boston's games thus far this season, and is only the fourth second sacker in club history to appear in each of Boston's first 56 games during a given season. The other three Sox second base iron men are Chuck Schilling (1961 and 1963), Marty Barrett (1986 and 1988) and Jody Reed (1992). Since 1956, Barrett holds the record for consecutive appearances by a second baseman to start a season with 99 games in 1986.
--RHP Tim Wakefield is winless in his last 18 appearances and his last eight starts against the Mariners dating back to a shutout on July 29, 1997, at Fenway Park. He is 0-3 with a 3.21 ERA in seven career games pitched at Safeco Park, and he sports an overall 3-9 record against Seattle over the course of his long and distinguished big-league career.
--C Jason Varitek suffered a throwing error in the eighth inning that busted up a string of 322 straight errorless chances behind the plate to start the 2008 season. He has also suffered through some difficulties with throwing runners as well, as 18 of the last 22 baserunners against the Sox have been successful on stolen-base attempts.
BY THE NUMBERS: 10-18 -? The road record for the Red Sox through May 27, their worst start to the season on the road dating back to a 10-18 start in 1996.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I feel a little bit uncomfortable with runners behind me, especially when they are not my runners. Little bit uncomfortable. All the coaches, managers know I am not successful with a runner behind. So why use me?" -- LHP Hideki Okajima, talking to the Boston Globe about entering a game with runners on base.
