After being swept by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox take to the road for a six-game, seven day road trip. Tonight, they’ll kick it off with the first of a three-game set with the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. and will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Rangers television market, you can watch the game on Fox Sports Southwest. And if you don’t live in either market you’re in luck as well as ESPN will have national coverage of the game (outside of Red Sox and Rangers television markets). You can also catch the game online at espn3.com and on your mobile device with the WatchESPN app. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.
Felix Doubront looks to get the Red Sox back on track in his 19th start of 2012. In his previous 18 starts, Doubront is 10-4 with a 4.24 ERA. He has not faced the Rangers this season and allowed three runs in a 1/3 of an inning in 2011. He’s made four appearances (one start) against the Rangers in his career and is 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA (7 ER/6.1 IP). Two of those appearances have come at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington where he has no record with a 13.50 ERA (2 ER/1.1 IP).
Scott Feldman steps in for an injured Roy Oswalt to make his 11th start (17th appearance) of 2012. In his previous 16 appearances (10 starts), Feldman is 3-6 with a 5.89 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox this season and allowed no runs over four innings of work in his only appearance against them in 2011. He’s made seven career appearances (one start) against the visiting nine from Boston and has no record with a 5.06 ERA (9 ER/16 IP).
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 today’s lineups:
 48-48 |
 56-38 |
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| 1. Jacoby Ellsbury | CF | 1. Ian Kinsler | 2B |
| 2. Carl Crawford | LF | 2. Elvis Andrus | SS |
| 3. Dustin Pedroia | 2B | 3. Josh Hamilton | LF |
| 4. Adrian Gonzalez | 1B | 4. Adrian Beltre | 3B |
| 5. Cody Ross | DH | 5. Michael Young | DH |
| 6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia | C | 6. Nelson Cruz | RF |
| 7. Will Middlebrooks | 3B | 7. Mike Napoli | C |
| 8. Ryan Sweeney | RF | 8. Brandon Snyder | 1B |
| 9. Mike Aviles | SS | 9. Craig Gentry | CF |
| Felix Doubront | SP | Scott Feldman | SP |
And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:
NOTES:
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AL scout on Jon Lester: ‘He’s not far from being very good’ [clubhouse insider]
Report: Red Sox interested in Miami’s Sanchez, Johnson [csn new england]
Valentine unsure if Sox will skip Lester’s next start [csn new england]
Gonzalez staying level-headed after hot week at plate [csn new england]
Source: Sox eye Marlins’ Johnson, Sanchez [espn boston]
Safety at home? For Lester, anything but [espn boston]
Bobby V and Lester to ‘make a plan’ [espn boston]
Valentine happy to be back in Texas [espn boston]
The fall and rise (and fall) of Jon Lester [extra bases]
Red Sox contemplate next step for Lester [extra bases]
Red Sox ‘aces’ are killing the season [tony massarotti – boston globe]
Adrian Gonzalez Looks to Carry Heat at Plate to Texas as Red Sox Face Rangers [nesn.com]
Red Sox Have Backs Up Against the Wall and Other Thoughts From the Week in Baseball [nesn.com]
Can the Red Sox Make the Playoffs With Their Current Roster? [nesn.com]
Red Sox exceed draft bonus allotment by 4.1 percent [projo sox blog]
A Series Matter: Red Sox-Rangers and Mediocrity [projo sox blog]
Valentine on Lester: ‘I believe in him’ [projo sox blog]
Wednesday to be a busy day for Red Sox pitchers [projo sox blog]
Red Sox hit road, send Doubront against Rangers [redsox.com]
Source: Sox ‘never engaged’ on Dempster [alex speier – weei.com]
No DL, but Lester could be skipped [alex speier – weei.com]
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