Tampa Bay Rays (64-55) @ Boston Red Sox (73-46)
James Shields (11-9, 2.80, 2.80) @ Jon Lester (11-6, 3.32)
1:10 PM EDT | Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
GAME NOTES
The Sox play a double header, the first two games of a three game set. Jon Lester, who picked up his second consecutive loss in his last start against Minnesota, takes the hill for Boston. He wen a long 7 1/3 innings in his last start, but ultimately got the loss, giving up runs in the eighth inning. He has a 11-6 record on the year with a 3.32 ERA. Tampa sends a pretty decent pitcher themselves to the mound, James Shields. He hasn’t been quite as dominant lately as he was at the beginning of the year, but you can hardly complain about a 2.80 ERA and an 11-9 record. His last start was a complete game gem against Kansas City in which he allowed no runs while striking out eight. David Ortiz was scratched with an illness. Jed Lowrie will DH in his place and bat eighth.
Lineups
Boston
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- Carl Crawford, LF
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
- Josh Reddick, RF
- Jed Lowrie, DH
- Mike Aviles, SS
Tampa Bay
- Desmond Jennings, LF
- Sam Fuld, RF
- Evan Longoria, 3B
- Ben Zobrist,
- BJ Upton, CF
- Casey Kotchman, 1B
- Sean Rodriguez, 2B
- Kelly Shoppach, C
- Eliot Johnson, SS
INJURY REPORT
Boston: Clay Buchholz, lower back strain (placed on 15-day DL June 19, retroactive to June 17); J.D. Drew, left shoulder impingement (placed on 15-day DL July 26); Bobby Jenks, strained back (placed on 15-day DL July 16)
Tampa Bay: None.
Stats
-Unfortunately, David Ortiz is a .333 hitter against Shields in 39 AB’s. He also has three home runs against him.
-These two teams have split their first eight head-to-head games.
-Lester is 9-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 17 starts against the Rays.
-Tampa is 25th in the majors in team batting average with a .244 mark.