Red Sox, Mariners Set for Day-Night Doubleheader Despite Forecasts of Rain

After the rain washed Tuesday night’s meeting between the Red Sox and Mariners the clubs will meet in a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park, the first of the year in Boston.

The clubs will stick with their originally scheduled starters, throwing Josh Beckett and David Pauley in the matinee and Jon Lester against Felix Hernandez in a marquee matchup under the lights.

Boston took the opener of the series Monday night by a score of 6-3.

WHEN AND WHERE

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HEAD TO HEAD

PITCHING MATCHUPS

It’s about time Beckett puts together a solid start. He is 0-2 with a 10.69 ERA in his last three starts and will be facing the worst offense in the American League.

Beckett’s comeback from a lower back strain began six starts ago in Seattle, where he allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings of a 2-1 win over the M’s. He is 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in six career starts against Seattle in his career.

The rainout Tuesday gives Beckett a full five days of rest between starts. His career ERA in such situations is almost one-half of a run less than it is on the normal four days.

Pauley, who made nine appearances with the Red Sox between 2006 and 2008, picked up his first career win two starts ago and his second career win six days ago in Baltimore. The 27-year-old yielded one run in 5 2/3 innings opposite Jon Lester on July 24, a game the M’s rallied to win 5-1.

Game 2
RHP Felix Hernandez (9-10, 2.51 ERA) vs. Jon Lester (13-8, 3.26 ERA), 7:10 p.m.

Lester said after a career-worst effort on Friday against Toronto that he hoped it would be a “fluke” and a “once in a blue moon” start. He gave up a career-high nine runs in just two innings, his shortest start as a major leaguer.

The lefty is just 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA in his career against the Mariners. He took a perfect game into the sixth inning at Safeco Field last month before falling on the back end of a 5-1 score.

Wins have been hard to come by for Hernandez this season, but he is still dominating opponents, especially of late. The 24-year-old struck out 11 in eight scoreless innings to defeat the Yankees in New York five days ago and has not allowed an earned run in 22 2/3 consecutive innings.

In that span he has struck out 31 batters and given up only 15 hits.

Hernandez is 3-1 all-time against Boston and is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in three starts at Fenway Park.

LINEUPS

Game 2

STAT SHEET

• First baseman Mike Lowell recorded his 1,600th career hit Monday night.
• Third baseman Adrian Beltre is eight RBIs shy of 1,000 for his career.
• Designated hitter David Ortiz needs three home runs to become the third player in Red Sox history (Ted Williams, Manny Ramirez) to have six 30-homer seasons with the team.

Mariners

• Second baseman Chone Figgins has a hit in 19 of his last 25 games, batting .333 (33-for-100) in that span.
• Catcher Aaron Moore is batting .360 (9-for-25) during a six-game hitting streak.
• The Mariners are 15-59 when scoring three runs or less and 34-19 when scoring four runs or more.

BLACK AND BLUE

• Second baseman Dustin Pedroia was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with soreness in his left foot. He played just two games after coming off the DL, having already missed nearly two months since first breaking the foot on June 25.
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has another broken rib near where he was hurt earlier in the year, the result of a collision at first base in Texas. He is out four to six weeks at minimum and will likely miss the remainder of the season.
• Center fielder Mike Cameron will have season-ending surgery Friday to repair an abdominal tear.
• First baseman Kevin Youkilis had successful surgery to repair the torn right adductor muscle on his right hand. He will miss the remainder of the season.
• Catcher Jason Varitek (broken right foot) received good news on Friday, as he will be able to continue his recovery program without fear of further injury. He won’t play for at least a week, but he’s not expected to suffer setbacks similar to those of Pedroia.
• Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is on the DL with an infection in his lower right leg. He has been released from the hospital and will begin a rehab assignment with Pawtucket at the end of the week.
• Outfielder/second baseman Eric Patterson will also rehab with Pawtucket starting Thursday. He is out with a neck strain.
• Left-hander Hideki Okajima is on the DL with a right hamstring strain. He gave up four runs on four hits in 1/3 inning in his second rehab outing with Pawtucket on Monday. Okajima will throw for the PawSox again on Wednesday before possibly rejoining the team for a reevaluation.
• Right-hander Junichi Tazawa underwent Tommy John surgery in March. He is out for the year.

Mariners

• Outfielder Michael Saunders has been bothered by a sore shoulder.
• Outfielder Milton Bradley is on the DL with right knee tendinitis.
• Shortstop Jack Wilson is out for the year following surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand.
• Left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith is on the DL with a lower back strain.

OUTLOOK

If and when they do, the Sox will be hoping for a pair of sweeps, one in the doubleheader and one in the series, before venturing to Tampa for three big ones with the Rays.