Boston @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2013 ) Boston 10, Tampa Bay 8

The Boston Red Sox have taken six of the first seven meetings with the Tampa Bay Rays this season, but it hasn’t always been easy. Both teams will be dealing with some fatigue when they Rays host the Red Sox again on Tuesday. Boston ran up a 6-0 advantage before an out was recorded in Monday’s series opener but squandered a pair of leads before finally earning a 10-8 win in 14 innings.

The Red Sox and Tampa Bay combined to use 16 pitchers in the marathon and will be looking for some length out of starters Jon Lester and Roberto Hernandez in Tuesday’s tilt. Boston has won three games in a row and extended its lead in the American League East to two games over the New York Yankees while pushing the Rays five back. Tampa Bay has averaged 7.7 runs over the last three games but has lost the last two, yielding 10 runs in each of those defeats.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Jon Lester (6-2, 3.60 ERA) vs. Rays RH Roberto Hernandez (3-6, 5.03)

Lester has not been at his best of late, going 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA over his last four starts. Most important for Boston’s needs on Tuesday, the left-hander has completed seven innings only once in that span. Lester has gone seven frames in each of his two starts against Tampa Bay this season, surrendering a total of three runs while striking out 10 and walking one.

Hernandez is not the best bet on the Rays staff to go deep into the game either, having made one start of more than six innings in his last nine turns. He was knocked around for four runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 frames to suffer a loss at Detroit on Thursday. Hernandez has missed the Red Sox in each of the two previous series this season and has struggled to 2-4 with a 3.63 ERA in nine career games (seven starts) against Boston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Benches cleared briefly on Monday after Matt Joyce was hit in the back with a pitch by John Lackey.

2. Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in 14 straight games.

3. Tampa Bay RHP Kyle Farnsworth (elbow soreness) was lifted from Monday’s game and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 8, Rays 6