Afternoon Red Sox Delight – 8/26

Gio Gonzalez (L), Tim Wakefield (R)

After taking three-of-four from the Texas Rangers in Arlington, TX, the Boston Red Sox return home to Historic Fenway Park for a nine-game, eight-day homestand. They’ll kick it off with three games in two days against the Oakland Athletics.

Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and will be broadcast in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the A’s broadcast area, you can catch the game on CSN California. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.

Tim Wakefield will try for the 6th time to get his 200th career MLB win tonight in his 19th start (28th appearance) of 2011. He is 0-2 in his last five tries with a 4.50 ERA. In 27 appearances (18 starts) this season, Wake is 6-5 with a 4.97 ERA. He has not faced the A’s this season and was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA (10 ER/12 IP) in two starts against them last year. He’s made 41 appearances (30 starts) against the A’s in his career and is 11-7 with a 4.23 ERA. 23 of those games (14 starts) have come at the Fens where he is 5-3 with a 3.09 ERA.

Gio Gonzalez will get the ball for the A’s tonight in his 26th start of 2011. In his previous 25 starts, Gonzalez is 10-11 with a 3.24 ERA. He took the loss against the Red Sox in his only start against them this year. In that start back on April 20th, he allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings of work. He’s made four career starts against the Red Sox and is 1-1 with a 5.64 ERA. Two of those starts have come at the Fens where he has received two no decisions while allowing six earned runs in 10.1 innings (5.23 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 evening’s lineups:

59-71		80-50
1. Jemile Weeks	2B	1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF
2. Coco Crisp	CF	2. Marco Scutaro	SS
3. Hideki Matsui	LF	3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B
4. Josh Willingham	DH	4. Dustin Pedroia	2B
5. Brandon Allen	1B	5. David Ortiz	DH
6. David DeJesus	RF	6. Jed Lowrie	3B
7. Kurt Suzuki	C	7. Mike Aviles	LF
8. Cliff Pennington	SS	8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	C
9. Scott Sizemore	3B	9. Darnell McDonald	RF
Gio Gonzalez	SP	Tim Wakefield	SP

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

Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox batter/pitcher matchups

Notes: Scott Atchison has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. To make room on the 25-man roster, Ryan Lavarnway has been optioned back to Pawtucket.

Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.

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Doubront being readied for bullpen [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]

Will the sixth time be Tim Wakefield’s lucky charm for win No. 200? [Clubhouse Insider]

A month later, a look at the performances of Rich Harden, Erik Bedard [Clubhouse Insider]

Ryan Lavarnway sent down, Scott Atchison returns and more pregame notes [Clubhouse Insider]

Pregame notes: Crawford out; Youk ready for rehab [CSN New England]

Wakefield on mound tonight looking for No. 200 [ESPN Boston]

Atchison up, Lavarnway down [ESPN Boston]

Races? What races? [ESPN Boston]

The impact of Jacoby Ellsbury [Extra Bases]

Kevin Millar on M&M: Andrew Miller won’t factor in postseason rotation [Full Count]