After falling last night, the Boston Red Sox look to hold onto their lead in the AL Wild Card tonight in the finale of a four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles in the final regular season home game at Historic Fenway Park.
Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The game will be carried on NESN if you live in the Red Sox television market. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can watch the game on MASN. And if you can’t catch the television broadcast, you can always listen to the game on the 2011 Red Sox Radio Network.
The Red Sox will need a big game from Josh Beckett tonight in his 29th start of 2011. In his previous 28 starts, Beckett is 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Orioles this season and is 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA (7 ER/11 IP). Beckett’s made 16 career starts against the O’s and is 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA. Five of those starts have come at the Fens where he is 2-1 with a 5.28 ERA.
Tommy Hunter makes his 10th start in an Orioles uniform and 19th overall of the season. In his previous 18 starts, Hunter is 4-4 with a 4.81 ERA. In his nine starts with the Orioles, he is 3-3 with a 5.31 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox in 2011 and was 1-0 with a 5.59 ERA (6 ER/9.2 IP) in two games last year. He’s made four career starts against the Red Sox and is 2-1 with an 8.31 ERA (16 ER/17.1 IP). In two starts at the Fens, Hunter is 1-1 with an 11.88 ERA (11 ER/8.1 IP).
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 this evening’s lineups:
 64-90 |
 88-67 |
||
| 1. Robert Andino | 2B | 1. Jacoby Ellsbury | CF |
| 2. J.J. Hardy | SS | 2. Mike Aviles | 3B |
| 3. Nick Markakis | RF | 3. Adrian Gonzalez | 1B |
| 4. Vladimir Guerrero | DH | 4. David Ortiz | DH |
| 5. Matt Wieters |
C | 5. Dustin Pedroia |
2B |
| 6. Adam Jones |
CF | 6. Josh Reddick |
RF |
| 7. Mark Reynolds |
1B | 7. Carl Crawford | LF |
| 8. Chris Davis | 3B | 8. Marco Scutaro |
SS |
| 9. Matt Angle | LF | 9. Jason Varitek | 3B |
| Tommy Hunter | SP | Josh Beckett |
SP |
And here is how the hitters have fared against today’s starting pitchers:
Check back and/or refresh often as more links will be added if/when they become available before game time.
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J.D. Drew looks good with Crawford, Lackey here [Boston Herald]
Faith in numbers, but not much else [Chad Finn’s Touching All The Bases]
Varitek to Crawford: “I’ve got your back” [Clubhouse Insider]
Can the Red Sox follow in 2000 Yankees’ footsteps? [Clubhouse Insider]
As the rotation turns: Erik Bedard unlikely to start until Tuesday [Clubhouse Insider]
Clay Buchholz may ready to pitch for Red Sox next week [Clubhouse Insider]
Yankee fan happily joins sink-the-Sox bandwagon [CSN New England]
Notes: Buchholz has stiffness, could pitch on road [CSN New England]
Brady, autographs & Chili Davis [ESPN Boston]
Video: Sox collapse by the numbers [ESPN Boston]
Red Sox still unsure who will start Sunday [ESPN Boston]
Francona: Youkilis, Drew to hit Friday [ESPN Boston]
Buchholz feels good after throwing [ESPN Boston]
“Ask the captain” revisited [ESPN Boston]
Is there a point to making the playoffs? [Extra Bases]
Podcast: Red Sox trying to hang on [Extra Bases]
Pre-game notes from Fenway Park [Extra Bases]
Jerry Remy on D&C: Sox will ‘somehow limp in there’ into playoffs [Full Count]
Matt Albers might actually offer a solution to one of the Red Sox’ problems [Full Count]
Peter Gammons on M&M: Carl Crawford ‘tries too hard’ [Full Count]
Carl Crawford explains what happened to his neck [Full Count]
Red Sox notes: Terry Francona says don’t worry, Dustin Pedroia is ‘not being demoted’ [Full Count]
Which Red Sox Player Is Most Deserving of a Gold Glove Award This Season? [NESN.com]
Heidi Watney Says Red Sox Clubhouse ‘Kind of Solemn,’ But Players Still in ‘Decent Spirits’ [NESN.com]
Matt Albers Giving Red Sox Hope He’s Turned Corner, Although Sample Size Small [NESN.com]
Terry Francona, Red Sox Focus on Staying Loose in Clubhouse Despite Team’s Recent Slump [NESN.com]
Video: Jonathan Papelbon Shows Mark of Good Closer While Insisting Tuesday’s Loss Be Placed on Him [NESN.com]
Video: Red Sox Catchers Work With Bullpen Coach Gary Tuck As ‘Camp Tuck’ Hones Backstops’ Defense [NESN.com]
A deeper look at the depth of starting pitching [Projo Sox Blog]
Drew, Youkilis to hit in New York [Projo Sox Blog]
Erik Bedard “not a candidate” to start Sunday [Projo Sox Blog]
Pedroia moved to No. 5 spot in batting order [Projo Sox Blog]
Crawford to reporters: “I wouldn’t have been able to see the ball” [Projo Sox Blog]
Albers, Atchison helping out bullpen [Projo Sox Blog]
Red Sox turn to Beckett to stop free fall [RedSox.com]
Francona not changing his managerial style [RedSox.com]
Like old days, Red Sox manager is in the crosshairs [Tony Massarotti – Boston Globe]
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Photo credits: Getty Images, Getty Images
