Detroit @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 16, 2010 ) Boston 1, Detroit 5

Two teams battling to stay in the playoff picture begin a three-game series at Fenway Park on Friday night as the Boston Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers.

Detroit is limping into the crucial series, losers of 10 straight games on the road. The Red Sox are getting healthier but are fading in the AL East race.

The Tigers expect to add Jhonny Peralta to their lineup on Friday. Peralta was acquired from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday but did not play.

The results were the same. The Tigers scored just eight runs while getting swept four games at Tampa Bay. In the last three games of the series, Rays manager Joe Maddon elected to walk Miguel Cabrera to load the bases with two outs to face rookie Brennan Boesch.

All three times the unconventional strategy worked. Boesch struck out after the intentional pass on Thursday as David Price limited the Tigers to two runs on seven hits while striking out nine. Dan Wheeler got the final six outs for the save in a 4-2 victory.

While Detroit expects to regain Brandon Inge and Carlos Guillen from the disabled list soon and add Peralta on Friday, the Tigers' road woes have left them 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

Detroit is 16-33 away from home on the season and will start Armando Galarraga (3-3) against Boston on Friday.

As the Red Sox get healthy, questions about their roster arise. Mike Lowell completed his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket and is expected to be activated Friday. Where he'll report is uncertain.

Lowell could be traded as the Red Sox try to bolster its struggling bullpen. Boston has expressed interest in Milwaukee Brewers reliever Trevor Hoffman and has also reached out to the San Diego Padres with relievers in mind, including lefty Joe Thatcher.

The Red Sox have apparently pulled out of trade talks with Toronto involving Scott Downs.

Boston won the final three games of its 10-game West Coast trip to finish the stint with a 6-4 mark. Still, the Red Sox enter Friday's game 7 1/2 games behind division-leading New York and 5 1/2 behind the Rays in the wild-card race.

If Lowell is activated, the Red Sox will have to make a roster move. Patterson is among several candidates who may be involved in the decision. Darnell McDonald, Jeremy Hermida, Bill Hall and Jed Lowrie are also in the mix.

Jacoby Ellsbury (fractured ribs) continues to make progress in his long stint on the disabled list. Ellsbury had played two games in the Gulf Coast League and could move to Pawtucket this weekend.

Jon Lester (11-5) starts for the Red Sox. In his last start, Lester retired the first 16 Seattle Mariners but eventually took the loss.

Lester's perfect game bid came to an end on a dropped ball in center field by Eric Patterson, and he surrendered a home run to the following batter. He eventually suffered a 5-1 loss, his second straight, despite striking out a career-high 13 batters.

Lester is 6-2 at Fenway Park on the season and 29-7 with a 3.09 ERA in his career there.