Boston Red Sox (44-30) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (37-37)
Jon Lester (9-3, 3.70) @ Paul Maholm (3-8, 3.29)
7:05 PM EDT | PNC Park (Pittsburgh, PA)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
INJURY REPORT
Boston: Clay Buchholz, lower back strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 19, retroactive to June 17); Carl Crawford, strained left hamstring (Placed on the 15-day DL June 18); Jed Lowrie, right shoulder injury (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 17); Bobby Jenks, left back tightness (Placed on the 15-day on DL June 8); Rich Hill, left elbow sprain (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 3, retroactive to June 2) Franklin Morales, left forearm strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 29, retroactive to May 26); Daisuke Matsuzaka, sprained elbow (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 17, transferred to the 60-day DL on June 3); Junichi Tazawa, right elbow surgery (placed on the 60-day DL on March 26)
Pittsburgh: Evan Meek, right shoulder tendinitis (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 10, retroactive to June 8); Chris Snyder, back surgery (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 9, transferred to the 60-day DL on June 10); Ryan Doumit, left ankle sprain (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 30); Steve Pearce, right calf strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 30, retroactive to May 29); Joe Beimel, left elbow inflammation (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 28); Pedro Alvarez, right quad strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 21, retroactive to May 20); Mike Crotta, right elbow posterior inflammation (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 11); Ross Ohlendorf, right shoulder posterior strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on April 9, transferred to the 60-day DL on May 30); Kevin Hart, right shoulder surgery (Placed on the 60-day DL on March 18)
GAME NOTES
After dropping two of three to the lowly Padres, the Red Sox take their half-game lead in the AL East to beautiful PNC Park tonight, where they will start a three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jon Lester will take his nine wins to the mound to face the Pirates. In his last start against the Brewers, Lester took the loss although he had a quality start, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings. Lester would become the first 10-game winner in the majors with a victory tonight. It will be Lester’s first appearance against the Pirates, but Lyle Overbay is 7-22 against Lester with two homers and seven RBI.
Facing the powerful Red Sox batters will be lefty Paul Maholm. Maholm took the loss in his last start against the Indians, going 6-1/3 innings and surrendering four runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. However, Maholm had won his previous two starts and had a 13 inning scoreless streak broken by the Tribe. Maholm will be making his debut against the Red Sox, but Mike Cameron is 13-30 with three homers and nine RBI against Maholm.
Lineups
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- Darnell McDonald, LF
- Mike Cameron, RF
- Jason Varitek, C
- Marco Scutaro, SS
- Jon Lester, P
Pittsburgh
- Jose Tabata, LF
- Chase D’Arnaud, 3B
- Andrew McCutchen, CF
- Neil Walker, 2B
- Matt Diaz, RF
- Lyle Overbay, 1B
- Ronny Cedeno, SS
- Mike McKenry, C
- Paul Maholm, P
Fun Facts
– This series will mark the Red Sox’ second visit to PNC Park. The first was in June of 2003, when the Sox took two of three from the Bucs.
– In Interleague play, Adrian Gonzalez leads the Majors with 11 runs, 23 hits, and a .548 batting average, and is second in RBI with 12, while Kevin Youkilis is tops in the league with a .575 OBP, a .975 slugging mark, 13 RBI and 8 extra base hits, is second to Gonzalez in average (.529), and is tied for second with 18 hits.
– On June 24, 1911, Red Sox owner John Taylor announced his plan to build a new baseball park in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston.
– And for today’s Totally Untrue Fun Fact: Before taking up baseball, Kent Tekulve was a world-class leg spin bowler in cricket who could bowl a wicked googly. Tekulve adapted his cricket bowling to his trademark submarine baseball delivery.