Josh Beckett, Red Sox Have No Choice But to Rebound From Bad Loss

Josh Beckett will look to continue his late-season improvement against a Toronto team that has dominated him in the past as the Red Sox and Blue Jays continue a three-game series at Fenway Park on Saturday.

Beckett will be trying to pick up a Boston club that saw its four-game winning streak snapped Friday night in an 11-9 setback. John Lackey lasted just 4 1/3 innings and Victor Martinez's pair of two-run homers went to waste.

The loss dropped the Sox 6 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot with only 15 games to go.

Ricky Romero will start for Toronto, which entered the series having won only one of its previous eight games.

WHEN AND WHERE

Blue Jays (74-73) at Red Sox (82-65)
Saturday, Sept. 18, 7:10 p.m. NESN
Fenway Park, Boston

HEAD TO HEAD

The Sox are 11-5 against the Blue Jays this year.

PITCHING MATCHUP

LHP Ricky Romero (12-9, 3.72 ERA) vs. RHP Josh Beckett (5-4, 5.83 ERA)

Beckett has been much better recently, throwing four straight quality starts, but has been horrible against the Blue Jays in his career.

After getting reached for eight runs in three innings in Toronto earlier this year, Beckett's career marks against the Jays stood at 3-5 with a 7.34 ERA. He is 0-2 with a 14.61 mark (33 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings) in his last five starts vs. Toronto.

Romero has not been much better against the Red Sox. He is 1-4 with a 7.88 ERA in eight starts vs. Boston. The lefty gave up six runs on just three hits in four innings in a 13-1 loss to Tampa Bay seven days ago.

LINEUPS

Lineups will be posted approximately four hours before pitch

STAT SHEET

Red Sox

• Victor Martinez's five RBIs on Friday were the most by a Red Sox catcher since Jason Varitek had five on Aug. 4, 2005, against Kansas City.
• First baseman Mike Lowell and infielder Yamaico Navarro both snapped 0-for-17 skids in Friday's loss.
• Boston is 16-17 in its last 33 home games against American League opponents.

Blue Jays

• Toronto has homered in 18 straight games, tied with Cincinnati for the longest streak in the majors this season.
• Right fielder Jose Bautista set the franchise record for home runs in a season with his 48th Friday night. He had been tied with George Bell, who hit 47 in 1987.
• Left-hander Brett Cecil is 9-2 with a 3.42 ERA against A.L. East teams in 2010.

BLACK AND BLUE

Red Sox

• Right fielder J.D. Drew has missed four games with a jammed right ankle. He is expected to return Saturday.
• Second baseman Dustin Pedroia had season-ending surgery Sept. 3 on his broken left foot. He is expected to be fully healed for spring training.
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) will not resume any baseball-related activities until after the season ends.
• Center fielder Mike Cameron had season-ending surgery 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.
• Left-hander Felix Doubront has pain behind his left clavicle. He has not pitched since Aug. 31 and has no return date set.
• Right-hander Junichi Tazawa underwent Tommy John surgery in March. He is out for the year.

Blue Jays

• Second baseman Aaron Hill left Friday's game with a right wrist contusion.
• Right-hander Jesse Litsch is out for the year with a labral tear in his right hip.
• Right-hander Dustin McGowan is out for the year following right shoulder surgery. He may miss all of 2011.

OUTLOOK

Beckett has been building momentum for a month or so, but the Blue Jays have always been a road block for him. It would be nice to see that momentum continue in a matchup that has always given him fits.