Chicago White Sox (24-31) @ Boston Red Sox (30-24)
Jake Peavy (1-0, 3.00) @ Jon Lester (7-1, 3.36)
7:10 PM EDT |Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN, MLB Network RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
INJURY REPORT
Chicago: Mark Teahen, strained oblique (Placed on the 15 day DL May 17th retroactive to May 12th)
Boston: Franklin Morales, left forearm strain (Placed on the 15 day DL May 29th retroactive to May 26th);Darnell McDonald, sore left quad (Placed on the 15 day DL May 26th); Daisuke Matsuzaka, sprained elbow (Placed on the 15 day DL May 17th); John Lackey, strained elbow (Placed on the 15 day DL May 16th, retroactive May 12th); Marco Scutaro, strained left oblique (Placed on the 15 day DL May 8th); Dan Wheeler, strained calf (Placed on the 15 day DL May 5th); Bobby Jenks, bicep soreness (Placed on 15 day DL May 5th, retroactive to May 2nd); Felix Doubront, left groin strain (Placed on the 7 day DL on May 11)
GAME NOTES
The Red Sox return to Fenway Park tonight after a seven game road trip that saw them go 5-2. For the first time this season, fans and players alike can look up to the Green Monster and see their team atop the standings on the hand operated scoreboard. The White Sox look to change that as they limp into town for a three game set. After acquiring slugger Adam Dunn and resigning the popular Paul Konerko over the offseason, it looked like the stars had aligned for a powerful lineup, one that some said could even carry them to the AL Central crown. Of course, the stars don’t always align the way they are supposed to. Just ask the Cleveland Indians, who currently pace Chicago by nine and a half games in the division. No player in the lineup is hitting over .300, and Paul Konerko is the only one who is even close at .299. Adam Dunn, who many predicted would at least hit fifty home runs in the confines of U.S. Cellular Field only has five long balls, one less than Jacoby Ellsbury. The optimists on the South Side of Chicago cited a pitching rotation that was too talented to keep the team buried. After all, Jake Peavy would return eventually. And return he has. Peavy takes the mound for only his fourth start of the season. A man who has flirted with injuries all his career, Peavy missed the entire second half of last season, and did not return until May Eleventh of this year. His record sits at 1-0, but the White Sox have won all three games that he has started so far. His last came in Arlington, but was cut short after three innings due to torrential hail. He carries a respectable 3.00 ERA into action tonight. Boston counters with their own ace, Jon Lester, who leads the majors in wins. Lester returned to form in his last outing, a six inning shut out of Cleveland, after a few rough starts. His 7-1 record leads everyone and his ERA rests at 3.36. Gordan Beckham, who has been out since Friday when he was hit in the face by a ball, returns to the White Sox lineup. Drew Sutton starts again at shortstop A’s Jed Lowrie gets the night off.
Lineups
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Drew Sutton, SS
- J.D. Drew, RF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Chicago
- Juan Pierre, LF
- Alexei Ramirez, SS
- Carlos Quentin, DH
- Paul Konerko, 1B
- A.J. PierzynskiA
- Alex Rios, CF
- Brent Lillibridge, RF
- Gordan Beckham, 2B
- Brent Morel, 3B
Stats
-Lester is 3-1 with a 3.46 in four starts this season at Fenway.
-Jed Lowrie’s .357 BABIP is the highest on the team.
-Paul Konerko against Lester (12 at bats): .333/.467/.583 with a home run and 4 RBI’s.
-Peavy only has one career start against the Red Sox, and it came when he was a Padre. He earned the loss in a 4-2 Boston victory back in June of 2007.
-J.D Drew and Mike Cameron are the only players on the roster with more than ten at bats against Peavy.
-Alexei Ramirez leads the White Sox with a 2.3 WAR.
-Lester is 2-2 with a 4.99 ERA in five starts against Chicago.
-The man who has replaced Bobby Jenks, Sergio Santos, has been one of the best closers in baseball. He has a 1.40 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.
-The White Sox have won four in a row at Fenway.
-Happy Birthday to Manny Ramirez. God only knows how he’s celebrating it.