Afternoon Red Sox Delight – 5/2

Brandon McCarthy (L), Daniel Bard (R)

After falling last night, the Boston Red Sox look to pick up the series win tonight in the rubber game of a three-game set with the Oakland A’s at Historic Fenway Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the A’s television market, you can catch the game on Comcast SportsNet California. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.

Daniel Bard makes his fifth appearance (fourth start) of 2012 tonight. In his previous four appearances (three starts), Bard is 2-2 with a 3.74 ERA. He made five apppearances against the A’s in 2011 and had no record with a with 0.00 ERA (0 ER/5.2 IP). Bard has made 14 career appearances against the A’s and has no record with a 0.64 ERA (1 ER/14 IP).

Brandon McCarthy makes his MLB-high seventh start tonight for the Athletics. In his previous six starts, McCarthy is 1-3 with a 3.23 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox since 2008 when he was a member of the Texas Rangers. McCarthy is 1-3 with a 6.29 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts) against the Red Sox. Three of those appearances (two starts) have come at the Fens where he is 1-2 with a 4.22 ERA.

Click on the read more button below to see today’s lineups, batter/pitcher matchups and links from the overnight and day if you’re on the home page.

Here are today’s lineups:

12-13		11-12
1. Coco Crisp	LF	1. Mike Aviles	SS
2. Cliff Pennington	SS	2. Ryan Sweeney	RF
3. Josh Reddick	RF	3. Dustin Pedroia	2B
4. Yoenis Cespedes	CF	4. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
5. Seth Smith	DH	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. Kila Ka’aihue	1B	6. Cody Ross	LF
7. Kurt Suzuki	C	7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
8. Brandon Inge	3B	8. Will Middlebrooks	3B
9. Eric Sogard	2B	9. Marlon Byrd	CF
Brandon McCarthy	SP	Daniel Bard	SP

And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:

Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox batter/pitcher matchups

Notes: Kevin Youkilis has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain. He was replaced on the 25-man roster by Middlebrooks. Reliever Clayton Mortensen has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket and takes the place of Lars Anderson who was optioned after the game. Aaron Cook will be called up by the Red Sox to start on Saturday in place of Josh Beckett who has a sore lat muscle.

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Source: Red Sox to promote Aaron Cook [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]

Patriots QB Ryan Mallett anticipating Will Middlebrooks’ MLB debut [Clubhouse Insider]

Will Middlebrooks activated, Kevin Youkilis to DL [Clubhouse Insider]

Red Sox sign Mark Prior to minor league contract [Clubhouse Insider]

Cherington: Red Sox ‘want to be smart’ about Josh Beckett’s lat stiffness [Clubhouse Insider]

Middlebrooks in lineup, Youkilis to DL [CSN New England]

Report: Beckett to miss start [CSN New England]

Mortensen ‘ready’ for majors [CSN New England]

Cook to join Red Sox, start Saturday [CSN New England]

Middlebrooks activated, hitting eighth tonight [ESPN Boston]