Boston @ Oakland preview

Boston at Oakland

Last Meeting ( Jul 19, 2010 ) Boston 2, Oakland 1

Dallas Braden starts for the first time in four weeks on Tuesday night, hoping to recapture his early-season form.

The Oakland Athletics left-hander was the talk of baseball earlier this season but will be looking for his first victory since his famous perfect game when faces the Boston Red Sox in the second of a three-game series.

Braden first gained notoriety in April for his controversial “Get off my mound” exchange with New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez after the slugger ran across the mound after a foul ball. Then Braden etched his name into the history books with his perfect game on Mother’s Day against the Tampa Bay Rays.

But it has been all downhill since that May 9 performance. Braden is 0-5 in eight starts since the perfect game and went on the disabled list in late June with an elbow injury.

A healthy and effective Braden (4-7) would certainly provide a boost to the Athletics, who need to continue their recent hot play to get into the thick of the AL West race.

Even with Monday’s loss to Boston which snapped a five-game winning streak, the A’s are 12-7 over their last 19 games.

Braden has a 3.83 ERA and has walked just 16 batters in 94 innings. He has walked one or fewer hitters in 13 of his 15 starts.

Braden is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA in two career starts against Boston.

Tim Wakefield starts for the Red Sox and the 43-year-old knuckleballer has struggled most of the season.

Wakefield (3-8, 5.65 ERA) has given up six earned runs in each of his last two starts and lasted just two-plus innings against the Texas Rangers on July 15.

Wakefield lost to Oakland in early June when he gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings. Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki hit two homers in that contest.

Jack Cust has three career homers against Wakefield and is batting .455 (10-for-22) against the veteran.

Wakefield is 11-7 lifetime with a 4.22 ERA against the A’s.

One player Wakefield won’t have to contend with is Oakland right fielder Ryan Sweeney, who will undergo knee surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Sweeney has a team-high .294 batting average but has been bothered by knee pain most of the season.

Athletics third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff was held out of Monday’s game due to a stiff back.

The Red Sox could soon see the return of third baseman Mike Lowell, who has been on the disabled list with a hip injury. Lowell is slated to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday.

Shortstop Marco Scutaro (.545 in 11 at-bats) and third baseman Adrian Beltre (.400 in 10 at-bats) have fared well against Braden.

Beltre hit the decisive homer in Boston’s 2-1 victory on Monday.