John Lackey, Red Sox Look to Sweep First-Place Rays

The missing man in the Red Sox’ current run of dominant starts has been John Lackey. He will get a chance to join the parade Wednesday when he and the Sox go for a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays have managed just one run on a Carlos Pena solo homer through the first two games. Jon Lester and three relievers combined for a one-hitter in Tuesday’s 2-0 win for Boston. The victory was the seventh in eight games for the Sox, who have pulled to within 6 1/2 games of Tampa Bay in the American League East.

Matt Garza, who has dominated Boston in the past, goes for the Rays.

WHEN AND WHERE

Red Sox (26-21) vs. Rays (32-14)
Wednesday, May 26, 7:10 p.m.
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Sox have won four of five at Tropicana Field after a 2-14 stretch.

PITCHING MATCHUP

RHP John Lackey (4-3, 5.07 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Garza (5-2, 2.37 ERA)

After opening his Red Sox career with five quality starts out of his first six, Lackey has hit a rough patch. In his last three outings, the big righty has given up 15 runs in 18 innings. He has walked 12 while striking out 13 in the stretch, and has now given up at least one home run in six of his last seven outings.

Additionally, Lackey’s lone poor start in the first month of the season came against Tampa Bay, which reached him for eight runs on nine hits in just 3 1/3 innings on Patriots’ Day at Fenway Park.

Garza, still only 26, has already made a career out of dominating the Red Sox. In 13 starts against Boston, he is 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA. Also, he owned the Sox in two starts during the 2008 American League Championship Series, winning the Game 7 clincher over Lester.

In his first outing against Boston in 2010, the right-hander faced the minimum through seven innings and finished with eight scoreless frames.

LINEUPS

STAT SHEET

Red Sox

• First baseman Kevin Youkilis walked twice in Tuesday’s win to run his total of free passes this month to 27. Only two Red Sox players since 1952 have recorded more walks in May.
• Designated hitter David Ortiz has at least one RBI in each of the last six games he has started, and a total of 14 in his last 10 games overall.
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is one walk shy of 100 for his career. When he gets it, he will become the second Red Sox player in history to have at least 100 walks and 100 steals within their first four major league seasons. Harry Hooper was the first to accomplish the feat, doing so from 1909-1912.

Rays

• Tampa Bay is 12-9 at home and 19-5 on the road.
• Of the Rays’ 14 losses this year, nine have come by two runs or fewer.
• Ben Zobrist has struck out five times in eight at-bats in the series.

BLACK AND BLUE

Red Sox

• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was reportedly still bothered by some discomfort in his side, forcing the club to keep Darnell McDonald on the roster Tuesday. McDonald was originally slated to be designated for assignment, but reliever Scott Atchison was instead.
• Catcher Victor Martinez suffered a contusion on his left big toe in the second inning Monday. X-rays were negative. Martinez sat Tuesday and is considered day-to-day.
• Right-hander Josh Beckett, on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain, threw his first side session Tuesday.
• Righty Boof Bonser had a rehab start Saturday night suspended after one inning due to rain.
• Infielder Jed Lowrie, out since mid-March with mono, may meet up with the team in Tampa this week and discuss his recovery with the medical staff.

Rays

• Lefty reliever J.P. Howell had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder last week.
• Catcher Kelly Shoppach remains on the DL following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
• Outfielder Matt Joyce recently began a minor league rehab assignment as he works his way back from a right elbow strain.

OUTLOOK

If taking two of three in Philadelphia over the weekend did not serve notice that the Red Sox are playing better baseball, a sweep in Tampa Bay ought to do the trick.

The one missing component to the recent run has been Lackey, who seemed supremely confident after his last outing that he would soon right the ship. By following the example set by his teammates over the past four days, this is a great opportunity to do so.