Boston @ Tampa Bay preview
Tropicana Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2010 ) Boston 4, Tampa Bay 6
Every time the Boston Red Sox give their fans another reason to believe they're still in the American League playoff picture, they get hit with a dose of reality from off the field.
Such is the case Friday as the Red Sox begin a crucial three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays at St. Petersburg, Fla. Boston probably needs a sweep to have a realistic playoff chance.
While clinging to its playoff life, Boston got word that it will probably have to go the rest of the season without second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
The club reportedly expects to shut down Pedroia for the remainder of the year, with surgery is even a possibility.
Pedroia returned from a seven-week absence after breaking his foot to play two games earlier in the month. After the second game, he complained that his foot was sore again and he was placed in a boot to stabilize it.
The Red Sox said the injury is still healing, but not as fast as the team would like, and Pedroia was placed back on the 15-day disabled list.
Boston does have its pitching rotation set up for the weekend series.
Daisuke Matsuzaka experienced back soreness throwing a side session on Wednesday. The Ted Sox didn't feel that Matsuzaka would be able make Friday's start so they pushed back Jon Lester to tonight.
While Boston lost Wednesday's second game of the doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners - the game that Lester was originally supposed to pitch - they are hopeful that Lester (13-8) can win the series opener.
The left-hander has struggled lately. He lost a career-high four straight starts at the end of July but then seemed to have righted the ship by throwing 14 straight scoreless innings to win back-to-back games earlier this month.
In his last outing, however, Toronto hammered Lester for nine earned runs in just two innings and his ERA ballooned from 2.80 to 3.26.
Still, Lester has proven to be the Red Sox’s best big-game pitcher. He is 7-3 lifetime against the Rays.
Tampa Bay also sends its ace, David Price, to the mound. The Rays enter play tonight tied with the New York Yankees for the AL East lead. Both teams are a relatively comfortable 5 1/2 games ahead of Boston in the wild-card standings.
Tampa Bay had its four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a 12-3 loss at the Los Angeles Angels.
Price is one of the favorites for the AL Cy Young award. The young, hard-throwing lefty beat Boston earlier in the year 6-4. Price allowed just two runs in 7 1/3 innings while striking out 10.
Boston placed pitchers Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Manny Delcarmen on waivers Wednesday. They are unlikely to be claimed.
The Red Sox expressed interest in Toronto reliever Scott Downs earlier in the season and Downs was placed on waivers this week.