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Tampa Bay Rays Meet Rival Red Sox
Many experts believed the Boston Red Sox would be a runaway division champion this season due to their free agent acquisitions, but that hasn’t been the case thus far. Instead a three-team race has presented itself in the American League East, with two of those teams scheduled to face off at 1:10 p.m. (PT) Saturday on FOX.
Tampa Bay entered the series six games back in the division and must turn things around at Tropicana Field to stay in contention. The Rays compiled a major league-leading 28 road wins before the all-star break, but have posted an even 21-21 mark at home.
The club is in the midst of an important stretch that will likely decided its seasonal fate, playing the fourth game of 10 consecutive contests versus the Red Sox and Yankees this afternoon. Tampa Bay has fared historically well against AL East foes, registering a 98-76 record over the past three years.
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria will also need to turn things around at the plate in order for the squad to be in the race in September. The former Long Beach State star is batting .182 in July after posting a .306 average in June.
All-Star hurler James Shields (8-7, 2.33 ERA) gets the starting nod in the middle game of this weekend set and will be focused on breaking a three-game losing streak. The right-hander has allowed eight runs (six earned) and 17 hits over that span, but has been given just five runs of support offensively.
Shields has had his troubles against the Red Sox in the past, posting a losing 6-9 mark and 4.71 ERA in 17 career starts, but that wasn’t the case the last time he faced them. He registered a 4-0 complete game shutout at home on June 14, scattering just five hits while striking out five.
The 30-year-old has fared quite well against Boston All-Star third baseman Kevin Youkilis, holding him to just three hits in 35 career at-bats against him.
Boston headed into the All-Star break on a six-game win streak and took over the division’s top spot. The Red Sox have lost three of the previous five meetings versus the Rays this season, but picked up both wins at Tropicana Field.
Offense has been the name of the game in Beantown, as the team leads the majors with a .278 batting average, but the ‘over’ is surprisingly just 43-39-8 thus far during the 2011 campaign.
Right-handed starter John Lackey (6-8, 6.84 ERA) will likely need that offense to provide support tonight, coming in with a lackluster 2-4 record and 5.92 ERA in six road outings. Those numbers are quite close to his 3-3 career mark and 6.16 ERA in six lifetime starts at today’s venue, as he’s allowed the Rays to hit for a .310 average in those outings.
Lackey has done a nice job of limiting Longoria and outfielder B.J. Upton, holding them to eight combined hits in 39 plate appearances.
The ‘over’ is 5-1 in Lackey’s last six starts versus divisional opponents, but that is trumped by the two teams going under the number in the last six meetings in Tampa Bay.
Many experts believed the Boston Red Sox would be a runaway division champion this season due to their free agent acquisitions, but that hasn’t been the case thus far. Instead a three-team race has presented itself in the American League East, with two of those teams scheduled to face off at 1:10 p.m. (PT) Saturday on FOX.
Tampa Bay entered the series six games back in the division and must turn things around at Tropicana Field to stay in contention. The Rays compiled a major league-leading 28 road wins before the all-star break, but have posted an even 21-21 mark at home.
The club is in the midst of an important stretch that will likely decided its seasonal fate, playing the fourth game of 10 consecutive contests versus the Red Sox and Yankees this afternoon. Tampa Bay has fared historically well against AL East foes, registering a 98-76 record over the past three years.
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria will also need to turn things around at the plate in order for the squad to be in the race in September. The former Long Beach State star is batting .182 in July after posting a .306 average in June.
All-Star hurler James Shields (8-7, 2.33 ERA) gets the starting nod in the middle game of this weekend set and will be focused on breaking a three-game losing streak. The right-hander has allowed eight runs (six earned) and 17 hits over that span, but has been given just five runs of support offensively.
Shields has had his troubles against the Red Sox in the past, posting a losing 6-9 mark and 4.71 ERA in 17 career starts, but that wasn’t the case the last time he faced them. He registered a 4-0 complete game shutout at home on June 14, scattering just five hits while striking out five.
The 30-year-old has fared quite well against Boston All-Star third baseman Kevin Youkilis, holding him to just three hits in 35 career at-bats against him.
Boston headed into the All-Star break on a six-game win streak and took over the division’s top spot. The Red Sox have lost three of the previous five meetings versus the Rays this season, but picked up both wins at Tropicana Field.
Offense has been the name of the game in Beantown, as the team leads the majors with a .278 batting average, but the ‘over’ is surprisingly just 43-39-8 thus far during the 2011 campaign.
Right-handed starter John Lackey (6-8, 6.84 ERA) will likely need that offense to provide support tonight, coming in with a lackluster 2-4 record and 5.92 ERA in six road outings. Those numbers are quite close to his 3-3 career mark and 6.16 ERA in six lifetime starts at today’s venue, as he’s allowed the Rays to hit for a .310 average in those outings.
Lackey has done a nice job of limiting Longoria and outfielder B.J. Upton, holding them to eight combined hits in 39 plate appearances.
The ‘over’ is 5-1 in Lackey’s last six starts versus divisional opponents, but that is trumped by the two teams going under the number in the last six meetings in Tampa Bay.
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