Oakland Athletics (27-32) @ Boston Red Sox (32-26)
Brett Anderson (3-5, 3.68) @ John Lackey (2-5, 8.01)
1:35 PM EDT | Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
INJURY REPORT
Oakland: Tyson Ross, left oblique strain (Placed on 15 day DL May 20th); Brandon McCarthy, stress reaction in right scapula (Placed on the 15 day DL May 20th, retroactive to May 19th); Dallas Braden, stiff left shoulder (Placed on the 15 day DL April 18th retroactive to April 17th); Rich Harden, strained right shoulder (Placed on the 15 day DL March 30, retroactive to March 22nd, transferred to the 60 day DL April 18th); Adam Rosales, fractured right foot (Placed on the 60 day DL March 30th, retroactive to March 22nd)
Boston: Rich Hill, left elbow sprain (Placed on the 15 day DL on June 3rd, retroactive to June 2) 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, transferred to the 60 day DL on June 3rd ); Marco Scutaro, strained left oblique (Placed on the 15 day DL May 8th); Junichi Tazawa, right elbow surgery (placed on the 60 day DL March 26th)
GAME NOTES
After yesterday’s extra-innings drama, the Red Sox return to Fenway this afternoon for the closing game in the series against the Athletics. Oakland sends Brett Anderson to the mound today. Anderson faces the Sox for the second time this year; on April 19 in Oakland he pitched eight shutout innings, giving up only four hits (three in the eighth inning) and had eight strikeouts and no walks. Maybe the key to hitting Anderson is patience; he has a .191 batting average against the first time through the lineup, a .235 average the second time through the lineup, but a .343 average against afterward. No Red Sox on the roster has more than 2 career hits against Anderson, and none have taken him deep. Grant Balfour returns today from his paternity leave. Andy LaRoche was designated for assignment to make room for Balfour on the roster. John Lackey makes his return from the disabled list today (the Sox optioned Josh Reddick to Pawtucket to make room for Lackey on the roster). Although Lackey lost to the Athletics on April 19 (in a matchup against Anderson) he pitched well, allowing one earned run in six innings of work. In his career, Lackey has had great success against Oakland; he is 17-6 with a 2.36 ERA against the Athletics. Daric Barton and Ryan Sweeney have had success against Lackey; Barton is 8-26 with a home run against Lackey, while Sweeney is 6-18 against him.
Lineups
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Jed Lowrie, SS
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Mike Cameron, RF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Oakland
- Coco Crisp, CF
- Ryan Sweeney, LF
- David DeJesus, DH
- Conor Jackson, RF
- Kurt Suzuki, C
- Daric Barton, 1B
- Mark Ellis, 2B
- Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B
- Cliff Pennington, SS
Fun Facts
– With his next save, Jonathan Papelbon will reach 200 saves for his career.
– On June 5, 1916, Babe Ruth pitched his third consecutive shutout, this one against the Cleveland Indians.
– The ejection of Jason Varitek in yesterday’s game was the fourth of his career, while Jonathan Papelbon earned his first ejection.
– And for today’s Totally Untrue Fun Fact: In the 1950s, the Kansas City Athletics were thought of as the New York Yankees farm team, as the Athletics made many one-sided trades with New York, and the Yankees getting the better of the deal. Kansas City traded Roger Maris to the Yankees for a wheel of cheese, and traded Bob Cerv to the Yankees for a deck of playing cards with the jack of clubs missing.