Jon Lester looks to end the 3-game skid for the Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox head into this 3-game set with the Seattle Mariners needing some wins, 3 of them would be nice but I’ll settle for two. Seattle hasn’t been too kind to the Red Sox as the Red Sox have won just 3 of their last 14 games at Safeco Field. In their last trip earlier this season, the Red Sox went 1-2 with Bartolo Colon getting the win.

Tonight the Red Sox will turn to their young lefty Jon Lester to try and turn things around. For Lester, it’s a chance to pitch in front of his family and friends as he grew up in nearby Puyallup, WA. He has no record with a 8.10 ERA in 2 starts. Coincidently, both of those starts have come at Safeco Field.

The hapless Mariners will send their lefty Jarrod Washburn to the mound to try and keep the Red Sox reeling. He’s faced the Red Sox 11 times in his career and is 3-4 with a 4.76 ERA.

The Sarasota City Commission met today and approved a study of the economic impact that the Red Sox would have there should they elect to move if a new stadium complex were to be built. If Sarasota can lure the Red Sox, they would bring the city an average of $46.5 million each year.

David Ortiz is in Portland tonight and will be there for 3 days and return to the Red Sox on Friday night when they return home to host the New York Yankees.

Red Sox prospect Josh Reddick was promoted from Single-A Lancaster to Portland last night. Reddick was hitting .343 with 17 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 9 SBs in 76 games there. To make room for Reddick, Bubba Bell was placed on the DL with a stress fracture in his leg. Reddick is rated as the #5 prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Something I missed last week was that Red Sox prospect Michael Almanzar, who is 17-years old by the way, was promoted from the GCL Red Sox to the Greenville Drive on Saturday. Almanzar is rated as the #10 prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Red Sox groundskeeper Dave Mellor offers tips to make your lawn look like Fenway Park.

Lineups and batter/pitcher matchups after the jump.

No changes to the Red Sox lineup tonight.

57-43

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, LF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. J.D. Drew, RF
4. Manny Ramirez, DH
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Jed Lowrie, SS

Jon Lester, SP

38-61

1. Ichiro, RF
2. Willie Bloomquist, CF
3. Raul Ibanez, LF
4. Adrian Beltre, 3B
5. Jose Lopez, 2B
6. Miguel Cairo, DH
7. Bryan LaHair, 1B
8. Jeff Clement, C
9. Yuniensky Betancourt, SS

Jarrod Washburn, SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers.