Afternoon Red Sox Delight – 9/9

John Lackey (L), Wade Davis (R)

After losing three-of-four in north of the border, the Boston Red Sox return to the lower 48 states as they try to get back on track. Tonight, they’ll kickoff the first of a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL (I guess the St. Pete Rays didn’t work for a team name).

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

John Lackey hopes he doesn’t suck tonight in his 25th start of 2011. In his previous 24 starts of suckiness, Lackey is 12-11 with 6.11 ERA. He’s made two starts against the Rays this season and is 1-1 with a 4.38 ERA. Overall in his career, he’s enjoyed good success against them (surprising considering his suckiness this year) and is 12-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 18 starts. He does suck at the Trop though (oh joy!) as he is 4-3 with a 5.98 ERA in seven starts.

Wade Davis is hoping Lackey sucks tonight as he goes in search of his 10th win in his 26th start of the season. In his previous 25 starts, Davis is 9-8 with a 4.50 ERA. He has not faced the Red Sox this season and fortunately for Lackey and his suckiness, Davis hasn’t been much better against the Red Sox in his career. In three career starts against them, Davis is 0-2 with an 11.12 ERA (14 ER/11.1 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 this evening’s lineups:

85-58		78-64
1. Jacoby Ellsbury	CF	1. Desmond Jennings	LF
2. Marco Scutaro	SS	2. B.J. Upton	CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez	1B	3. Evan Longoria	3B
4. Dustin Pedroia	2B	4. Ben Zobrist	2B
5. David Ortiz	DH	5. Johnny Damon	DH
6. Carl Crawford	LF	6. Matthew Joyce	RF
7. Jed Lowrie	3B	7. Casey Kotchman	1B
8. Josh Reddick	RF	8. John Jaso	C
9. Jarrod Saltalamacchia	SS	9. Reid Brignac	SS
John Lackey	SP	Wade Davis	SP

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

Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays batter/pitcher matchups

We are awaiting word from Terry Francona as to why Kevin Youkilis isn’t with the team. Dale Arnold of WEEI tweeted earlier that Youk was on the same plane as him going back to Boston.

Scott Atchison is with the team right now and has apparently been called up from the PawSox.

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

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Youkilis (hip) and Bedard (lat strain) back in Boston [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox choose terrible time for losing streak [CSN New England]

A tale of two Red Sox infielders [CSN New England]

Report: Youkilis returns to Boston [CSN New England]

Youkilis, Bedard return to Boston for medical tests [CSN New England]

Buchholz continues to make progress [CSN New England]

Youkilis in Boston for MRI on hip [ESPN Boston]

Edes on wild-card race, Beckett and more [ESPN Boston]

Buchholz has ‘aggressive’ session [ESPN Boston]