The flu is doing what 13 clubs in the American League cannot do these days: beat the Red Sox.
Daisuke Matsuzaka became the second straight Red Sox pitcher to miss a start when he was scratched 90 minutes before gametime tonight when he came down with the flu bug that has already rendered Jason Varitek incapable of playing for four days and had Josh Beckett under the weather between scheduled starts. Beckett recovered from the flu in time to have made last night’s start but was then scratched because of a stiff neck that may have been related to the illness.
Jon Lester started against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tonight on three days’ rest.
David Pauley, who was summoned from Pawtucket to replace Beckett last night, was returned to the Class AAA club today. The Red Sox did call up reliever Craig Hansen, who has struggled since being the club’s second pick in the first round in 2005 but has been lights out for the PawSox this season.
Hansen, who discovered he suffered from sleep apnea during the off-season and is being treated for it, had given up just one unearned run in 12 1/3 innings over eight relief appearances at Pawtucket. He allowed just three hits and four walks while fanning 13 batters.
When tonight’s crowd is announced, the Red Sox are expected to have played to their 400th consecutive sellout at Fenway Park dating back to May 15, 2003. The streak is the second-longest in major-league history behind Cleveland’s sellout streak of 455 games a decade ago.
The Red Sox are 18-8 against the Angels at Fenway Park since the start of the 2003 season ... Dustin Pedroia went into the game as the AL’s leading hitter with a .364 average ... Manny Ramirez is tied for the AL lead in homers (6) and RBI (20) ... Jacoby Ellsbury leads the AL in runs with 19 ... Ellsbury’s perfect 17-for-17 in steals is the best at the start of a career since Tim Raines was successful on his first 27 attempts in 1980-81.