It rises like a shining beacon out of the Great Lakes-induced fog. Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, is the best possible spot for the 0-3 Red Sox to flee after their dismal opening series in Texas. Josh Beckett will take to the hill tonight facing a collection of major leaguers who are headed by Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo. Their fearsome starting rotation features: Fausto Carmona, old friend Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot and (tonight's starter) Josh Tomlin.
As Gerry Callahan has correctly surmised, if Beckett and the Red Sox can't handle these guys, there is real trouble in River City. Randy Newman famously sung of Cleveland as the "City of Light, City of Magic". It needs to be the latter for the Red Sox.