Boston @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 27, 2010 ) Boston 5, San Francisco 1

The Boston Red Sox recently completed a tough 10-game road trip that helped cut down their lead in the American League East. After a quick three-game stop at home, the Red Sox will head back to the West Coast with the beginning of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday. Boston dropped two of three to the rival New York Yankees over the weekend and leads the East by just one game over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Giants are traveling back from the East Coast after a 3-3 road trip against Washington and Miami. The defending World Series champions suffered a 6-5 loss on Sunday to fall into last place in the National League West and look toward a final stretch of playing spoiler for teams like the Red Sox. Boston is 33-30 on the road and 9-3 in interleague play.

TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2, NESN (Boston), NBC Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Jon Lester (10-7, 4.31 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Lincecum (6-12, 4.38)

Lester is going for his sixth quality start in the last seven turns after holding the Toronto Blue Jays to three runs (two earned) in 6 1/3 innings without factoring in the decision last week. The 29-year-old’s lone bad outing in that span came against the NL West’s Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 2, when he was roughed up for six runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Lester struck out nine and allowed one run in a complete-game victory during his lone previous start at San Francisco in 2010.

Lincecum had a string of three straight quality starts come to an end at Washington last week, when he was lit up for six runs in as many innings to suffer a loss. The 29-year-old, who, like Lester, hails from Washington, struck out just three batters against the Nationals after piling up 23 K’s in his previous three starts. Lincecum was knocked around for four runs on five hits to suffer a loss in his lone career start against Boston in 2010.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox, who played a late game on Sunday, elected to stay overnight and fly out to San Francisco in the morning instead of after the game. Lester and Tuesday starter Jake Peavy left earlier on Sunday.

2. Giants 2B Marco Scutaro (tight lower back) was limited to pinch hitting on Sunday and is day-to-day.

3. Boston 1B Mike Napoli (left foot) is day-to-day. DH David Ortiz is expected to man first base for at least two of the games at San Francisco.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Giants 4