Boston right-hander John Lackey, who has been very solid early on, will oppose Marlins ace Josh Johnson. The 27-year-old Johnson is a two-time All-Star who finished fifth in the voting for National League Cy Young Award last year after going 11-6 with a league-leading 2.30 ERA.
The contest gives the Red Sox a chance to settle down a bit after a rather wild stretch. The club played 10 games in seven days due to three split-squad situations, six of which were on the road.
The Sox split a pair of games Friday afternoon. Terry Francona led a bunch that topped Houston 9-3 up in Kissimmee. DeMarlo Hale's squad fell 3-2 at crosstown rival Minnesota.
When and Where
Marlins vs. Red Sox
1:05 p.m.
City of Palms Park, Fort Myers, Fla.
Pitching matchup
RHP Josh Johnson (0-1, 8.44 ERA) vs. RHP John Lackey (0-0, 1.50)
Lackey has yielded a run in six innings this spring. It came on a solo shot by former Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Lackey managed to get through four scoreless in his last time out and may be the first on the rotation to increase his workload to five.
Lineups
Lineups will be posted before the first pitch.
Did you know?
Lackey is 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his career against NL East teams during the regular season.
