After falling 6-3 last night, the Boston Red Sox look to take the series this afternoon in the rubber game of a three-game set with the Texas Rangers at historic Fenway Park.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. and will be broadcast on NESN in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Rangers television market, you can catch the game on FOX Sports Southwest. If you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to it on the Red Sox radio network.
After having his last start skipped due to back spasms, Josh Beckett returns to the bump to make his 19th start of 2012. In his previous 18 starts, Beckett is 5-9 with a 4.54 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Rangers this season and is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA (7 ER/14 IP). Overall in his career, Beckett has made 10 starts against the Rangers and is 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA. Four of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 0-2 with a 6.66 ERA.
Matt Harrison takes the ball for the 22nd time this season this afternoon. In his previous 21 starts, Harrison is 13-6 with a 3.17 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox in 2012 and was 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA in three starts in 2011. Harrison has made seven appearances (five starts) against the local nine in his career and is 3-1 with a 6.10 ERA. Three of those appearances (two starts) have come at the Fens where he is 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA (9 ER/12 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:
 64-45 |
 55-56 |
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| 1. Ian Kinsler | 2B | 1. Jacoby Ellsbury | CF |
| 2. Elvis Andrus | SS | 2. Carl Crawford | LF |
| 3. Josh Hamilton | CF | 3. Dustin Pedroia | 2B |
| 4. Adrian Beltre | 3B | 4. Adrian Gonzalez | 1B |
| 5. Nelson Cruz | RF | 5. Cody Ross | RF |
| 6. Michael Young | DH | 6. Will Middlebrooks | 3B |
| 7. David Murphy | LF | 7. Ryan Lavarnway | DH |
| 8. Geovany Soto | C | 8. Kelly Shoppach | C |
| 9. Mitch Moreland | 1B | 9. Pedro Ciriaco | SS |
| Matt Harrison | SP | Josh Beckett | SP |
And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:
NOTES: Vicente Padilla has been placed on the 15-day DL with arm soreness. He’s been replaced on the 25-man roster by Clayton Mortensen.
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Lester is at a loss (his 10th) after another tough outing [boston globe]
Ortiz planning a weekend comeback [boston globe]
Jon Lester bad enough [boston herald]
David Ortiz on deck [boston herald]
All tangled up in blue [boston herald]
Josh Beckett talks good game in radio interview [boston herald]
Herald readers: Let’s keep Bobby Valentine [boston herald]
Lester, Sox falter down the stretch, lose to Rangers, 6-3 [csn new england]
Valentine: ‘We just didn’t get the breaks’ [csn new england]
Pedroia loses cool after called strike three, gets tossed [csn new england]
Middlebrooks pinch-hit homer a bright spot in loss [csn new england]
Lester coming around, although results don’t show it [csn new england]
State of the Sox notebook: August 7, 2012 [csn new england]
Red Sox in Outer Space [csn new england]
Padilla to DL, Mortensen called back up [csn new england]
Bobby V.: Nobody went ‘up the back stairs’ [csn new england]
Pedroia, umpire meet again at plate [csn new england]
Hits just keep on coming for AGon [espn boston]
Rapid Reaction: Rangers 6, Red Sox 3 [espn boston]
Josh Beckett may need Boston Red Sox fans on his side [espn boston]
Should Bobby V trust vote of confidence? [espn boston]
Valentine thinks Sox are playoff team [espn boston]
Bobby V. rejects this second-guess [espn boston]
Olt fan catches Middlebrooks’ home run [espn boston]
Vicente Padilla to DL, Mortensen up from Triple A [extra bases]
Closing Time: Jon Lester, Red Sox continue to tread water with loss to Rangers [full count]
David Ortiz comes to the defense of Josh Beckett [full count]
Bobby Valentine on D&C: Players show too much frustration with umpires [full count]
Rich Hill Will Travel to Fort Myers on Wednesday to Begin Rehab Process [nesn.com]
Daisuke Matsuzaka Hopes to Go Deeper Into Game in Next Rehab Start [nesn.com]
Bobby Valentine Hears Fenway Faithful Chant His Name Days After Calling for His Job [nesn.com]
Red Sox Angry With Umpire’s Decision in the Eighth, Prompts Jon Lester to Deem It ‘A Bad Call’ [nesn.com]
Jon Lester Displays Improvement on Mound but Lack of Run Support Hurts His Cause [nesn.com]
Red Sox Place Vicente Padilla on 15-Day Disabled List As Precaution With Biceps Soreness [nesn.com]
Should the Red Sox Consider Using a Six-Man Rotation the Rest of This Season? [nesn.com]
Valentine: Big finish very possible for Red Sox [projo sox blog]
Padilla to disabled list, Mortensen called up [projo sox blog]
Andrews tells Atchison he doesn’t need surgery [redsox.com]
Beckett looks to deliver series win for Red Sox [redsox.com]
Out of lineup, Middlebrooks hits first pinch-hit homer [redsox.com]
Pedroia unhappy about call, ejected inning later [redsox.com]
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photo credits: reuters pictures, getty images
