Diasuke Matsuzaka had become a forgotten man in the Boston Red Sox starting rotation. Worn down from the World Baseball Classic, Dice-K performed nowhere near his career norms prior to being sent to the disabled list at mid-season. Matsuzaka returned with a sharp performance last week and followed that up with another solid start Sunday night.
The impact of Dice-K's return cannot be over stated - the Red Sox are now the favorites to win the American League pennant. A four-man front of Dice, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz far exceeds that of the other three playoff teams. In addition, the Red Sox have hit at a .287 team clip over the last month and have scored almost five runs per game. Boston is on fire and only stellar pitching by their opponents stands between them and the World Series.
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