Milwaukee Brewers (39-31) @ Boston Red Sox (41-27)
Shaun Marcum (7-2, 2.68) @ John Lackey (4-5, 7.41)
7:10 PM EDT | Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN, MLB Network RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
INJURY REPORT
Milwaukee: Mitch Stetter, left hip labral irritation (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 17, retroactive to May 15); Brandon Kintzler, right triceps tendonitis (Placed on the 15-day DL on May 13, retroactive to May 5); Takashi Saito, left hamstring (Placed on 15-day DL on April 11, retroactive to April 6, transferred to the 60-day DL on May 25); Manny Parra, left elbow UCL strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on March 26, retroactive to March 23, transferred to the 60-day DL on May 24)
Boston: 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)
GAME NOTES
Last night the Red Sox took the final game of the three-game series (and the nine-game road trip) against the Rays at Tropicana Field. They got to David Price early, but Jed Lowrie (shoulder) and Clay Buchholz (back) came out of the game due to injury. Lowrie was placed on the DL today, with Drew Sutton coming up from Pawtucket to take his place on the roster.
The Red Sox return to Fenway Park to face the Brewers’ right-hander Shaun Marcum. Marcum had a win against the Cardinals in his last start, pitching seven innings and giving up three runs on five hits and two walks against eight punchados. The former Blue Jay is 5-5 with a 4.38 ERA in 16 appearances (11 starts) against the Red Sox. Jason Varitek has hit .400 (4-10, three walks) against Marcum and, what a coincidence, Tek is in the lineup tonight.
Facing the Brewers hitters will be John Lackey. Lackey got the win in his last start against the Blue Jays, surrendering four runs on six hits against two walks but had a season-high eight strikeouts. This will be Lackey’s first start against the Brewers but he owns an impressive 14-5 interleague record with a 2.96 ERA in 29 appearances (28 starts). Jonathan Papelbon’s suspension was reduced to two games and he will begin serving it tonight.
Lineups
Milwaukee
- Rickie Weeks, 2B
- Nyjer Morgan, CF
- Ryan Braun, LF
- Prince Fielder, DH
- Casey McGehee, 3B
- Corey Hart, RF
- Mark Kotsay, 1B
- Jonathan Lucroy, C
- Craig Counsell, SS
Red Sox
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Marco Scutaro, SS
- J.D. Drew, RF
- Jason Varitek, C
Fun Facts
– The starting time of Saturday’s game against the Brewers has been changed to 7:10 PM in order to accommodate the Bruins’ Stanley Cup parade at 11 AM.
– The Red Sox are 216-184 all-time against the Brewers.
– On June 17, 1943, player/manager Joe Cronin hit pinch hit home runs in each game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics.
– And for today’s Totally Untrue Fun Fact: Bob Uecker has a theory on how to catch a knuckleball: “Go to the mound, slap the pitcher in the face, and tell him to throw fastballs!”, says Uecker.