FanHouse ToddWellenmeyer

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing matchups

Los Angeles Angels (12-9) at Boston Red Sox (15-7)- 7:05 PM ET
I swear these teams have met like 100 years in a row in the playoffs (OK, it's like twice, or three times, I can't remember), which makes this regular season match up all the more interesting. Well, that and most of the other games tonight are crap.

Tonight's game is interesting because of the pitching matchup between Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Garland. Dice-K's cruising so far at 4-0 with 28 strikeouts in 28 and 2/3 innings and a 3.14 ERA. It makes me wish I told more people about my pre-season premonition that he was going to break out and challenge for the Cy Young this year, but what can I say, I don't like it when people laugh at me. Garland was the Angels big off-season acquisition and with all eyes turned towards him in hopes that he could step up in the absence of Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey, he's been pretty bad, turning in a 4.81 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. The Angels will need him to step it up if they want to avoid the ignominy of losing the division to a team that traded away it's best hitter and pitcher in the off-season.

Kip Wells must have some dirty pictures of Tony La Russa and/or Dave Duncan stored away somewhere. After a long stint as one of the worst starters in baseball this year, Wells was demoted to the St. Louis bullpen where he seemed to finally be finding his stride, working eleven innings over four appearances and only allowing one earned run in that stretch.

With Todd Wellenmeyer making some solid starts, it would seem to make sense to keep Kip in the bullpen, right? Wrong. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Kip is back in the rotation and Wellenmeyer is going to the pen.

"All six guys could give us a good start," La Russa said. Wells "has thrown better (since moving to the bullpen), has better command and life on his fastball down in the zone. He looks like he did in spring."

Being rather familiar with Wells' career as a Pirate fan, he's one of those guys that I think might excel in the pen after struggling as a starter. He's got great stuff, but can't figure out how to use it over the course of a start. As a reliever, he can focus on one or two innings at a time and just worry about getting people out. I don't forsee his return to the rotation going terribly well.