After being swept on their six-game homestand, the Boston Red Sox head out on the road for the next five games. They’ll kick it off tonight with the first game of a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The game 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 game on television, you can always listen on the 2014 Red Sox Radio Network.
John Lackey makes his 10th start of the 2014 campaign. In his previous nine starts, Lackey is 5-3 with a 4.01 ERA. He picked up the win against the Rays on April 29 when he allowed two runs over eight innings of work. He’s made 22 career starts against the Rays and is 13-7 with a 4.27 ERA. 10 of those starts have come at the Trop where he is 4-5 with a 6.83 ERA.
Chris Archer toes the rubber for the 10th time in 2014 as well. In his previous nine starts, Archer is 3-2 with a 4.59 ERA. He picked up a no decision on May 1 against the Red Sox after allowing five runs in 4.2 innings. He’s made four career starts against the Red Sox and is 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA. He has pitched 5 innings or less in all four of those starts.
NOTES:
SS Stephen Drew cleared optional waivers and has been assigned to Single-A Greenville. RP Alex Wilson has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Drew’s spot on the 25-man roster.
Here is how the hitters have fared against the starting pitchers during the regular season over their careers.
More links (bolded) will be added if/when they become available so please check back often.
To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click
For Sox and Rays, what a difference a year makes [csn new england]
‘X’ marks the spot: Bogaerts locked in lately [csn new england]
Sox hope to end skid [espn boston]
Nine to Know: Sox Stat Pack [extra bases]
Red Sox Starting Pitching Leading the Way — in the Wrong Direction [extra bases]
Will Middlebrooks on Stephen Drew: ‘There’s not one thing I could say bad about him’ [full count]
Ken Rosenthal on D&C: ‘It is time for some of this to start kicking in’ for Red Sox [full count]
Rays’ Grant Balfour on fans booing: ‘It’s not going to help me out’ [full count]
Red Sox-Rays series preview: Sox look to halt skid against struggling Rays [full count]
Stephen Drew heads to Greenville; Alex Wilson called up [full count]
David Ortiz Unfiltered In FOX Sports 1′s ‘Back Of The Shop’ (Video) [nesn]
A Series Matter: Red Sox-Rays and the Race to Respectability [providence journal]
Lackey, Sox aim to get on track against Rays [red sox]
‘I haven’t shown the player I am’: Will Middlebrooks takes stock of uncertain situation [alex speier – weei]
Nine Innings: As Red Sox Falter, a Status Report on Individual Players (and Obvious Culprits) [touching all the bases]
photo credits: getty images, getty images
20-26
20-28