Though he has yet to throw a pitch above Double A, Justin Masterson will get that chance this afternoon, in Boston. With the team cycling through pitchers at an impressive rate - they have scratched two straight starters hours before game time - the Red Sox chose to bring in someone who hasn’t been susceptible to the flu bug that has infected the clubhouse to take the mound in today’s series finale against the Angels. Masterson, a 6-foot-6-inch righthanded sinkerballer, has dominated in Double A this season, allowing just two runs on 14 hits in 19 innings. He has walked five batters and struck out 23, with a ground ball to fly ball ratio of almost 4-to-1. In his last start Saturday he threw five shutout innings and struck out 10.
When the Sox sent Tuesday night’s spot starter, David Pauley, back to Pawtucket yesterday, they brought up reliever Craig Hansen. Joining Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, and Jed Lowrie, Hansen completes the quartet of the team’s first four draft picks now on the major league roster. Hansen was optioned back to Pawtucket to make room for Masterson. He pitched a strong 1 2/3 innings and got the loss, allowing two hits, one a go-ahead homer by Casey Kotchman in the sixth. He struck out three, all on sliders. Hansen will be back at some point this season to help to Sox.
