After enjoying a day off on Monday, the Boston Red Sox make a brief stop at Historic Fenway Park for three games in two days before heading back out on the road for eight games. Today, they’ll take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a three-game set which is part of day/night doubleheader.
If you had tickets for the rained out game between the Rays and Red Sox on April 13th, those are good for the first game today.
Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and will be broadcast in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Rays broadcast area, you can catch the game on Sun Sports. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.
Jon Lester gets the ball in game one for the Red Sox in his 23rd start of 2011. In his previous 22 starts, Lester is 11-6 with a 3.32 ERA. He’s made one start against the Rays and took the loss back on April 12th. In that start, he allowed three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. Lester’s made 17 career starts against the Rays and is 9-4 with a 3.81 ERA. 11 of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 5-4 with a 4.30 ERA.
Joe Maddon will counter with “Big Game” James Shields who will be making his 25th start of 2011. In his previous 24 starts, Shields is 11-9 with a 2.80 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Red Sox in 2011 and is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA (6 ER/15 IP). He’s made 18 career starts against the Red Sox and is 6-10 with a 4.95 ERA. Eight of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 1-7 with a 7.71 ERA.
Click on the read more button below to see today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the day if you’re on the home page.
Here are this afternoon’s lineups:
 64-55 |
 73-46 |
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| 1. Desmond Jennings | LF | 1. Jacoby Ellsbury | CF |
| 2. Sam Fuld | RF | 2. Dustin Pedroia | 2B |
| 3. Evan Longoria | 3B | 3. Adrian Gonzalez | 1B |
| 4. Ben Zobrist | DH | 4. Kevin Youkilis | 3B |
| 5. B.J. Upton | CF | 5. Carl Crawford | LF |
| 6. Casey Kotchman | 1B | 6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia | C |
| 7. Sean Rodriguez | 2B | 7. Josh Reddick | RF |
| 8. Kelly Shoppach | C | 8. Jed Lowrie | DH |
| 9. Elliot Johnson | SS | 9. Mike Aviles | SS |
| James Shields | SP | Jon Lester | SP |
And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:
Notes: David Ortiz was in the original lineup but was scratched due to illness. Lowrie replaced him as the DH.
Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.
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Pregame notes: Scutaro out, Aviles hitting ninth [Clubhouse Insider]
Notes: Red Sox ready for quick homestand [CSN New England]
Ortiz (illness) scratched for Game 1 vs. Rays [CSN New England]
Lester to face Shields in doubleheader opener [ESPN Boston]
Aviles gets the nod at shortstop today [ESPN Boston]
Red Sox pregame notes: Marco Scutaro back still stiff, Rehab continues for J.D. Drew, Bobby Jenks [Full Count]
Baseball writer’s rankings place Boston Red Sox fans at the top and Tampa Bay fans at the bottom [LA Times]
Who Is the Best Third Baseman in AL East? [NESN.com]
Adequate Sleep a Top Priority for Red Sox to Remain Sharp, Healthy During Long Season [NESN.com]
Red Sox Mailbag: Jacoby Ellsbury Trade Talk, a World Series Prediction and More Right Field Drama [NESN.com]
New Red Sox Signees Continue to Bolster Organization’s Talent-Laden Lower Levels [NESN.com]
Video: Jed Lowrie Recovered From Injuries, Ready for Long Day of Baseball With Doubleheader [NESN.com]
A Series Matter: Red Sox-Rays and Expectations [Projo Sox Blog]
Red Sox draft picks, a year later [Projo Sox Blog]
Aviles starts at SS while Scutaro sits [Projo Sox Blog]
Lester, Shields set to square off in Game 1 [RedSox.com]
Middlebrooks finishing with a flourish [RedSox.com]
The Surviving Grady Guide to Enjoying Today’s Double Header While Remaining Gainfully Employed [Surviving Grady]
Photo credits: AP Photo, Getty Images
