Mike Cameron is in the Red Sox lineup on Friday night when the Sox host the Cubs for the first time since 1918, and it's a good thing considering who will be toeing the rubber for Chicago.
Left-hander Doug Davis will be making the start for the Cubs so it makes sense that Cameron would get the nod in right field in favor of J.D. Drew. When you factor in Cameron's lifetime numbers against Davis, it's a no-brainer. Cameron enters Friday night with a .333 (17-for-51) career average against Douglas with two home runs and 11 RBIs.
The only other Red Sox starter with more than 11 career at-bats against Davis is first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He hasn't had the success that Cameron has had against the lefty, as Gonzalez enters Friday's contest with a .206 (7-for-34) career average with one of those hits being a home run.
Not surprisingly, the Cubs feature a lineup of a few names that will be unfamiliar to Sox fans. Not including in that group of strangers, though, is Haverhill native, Carlos Pena. He'll start at first base on Friday night, and he's one of just three Cubs who have faced Boston starter Jon Lester.
Pena is actually one of the few hitters with pretty good career numbers against the tough Red Sox left-hander. With Tampa, Pena hit .274 (11-for-40) with five home runs and 12 RBIs.
Alfonso Soriano and Marlon Byrd have also seen Lester a few times, albeit with far less success, combining to go 2-for-12 against him.
Here are the full lineups for both teams.
Boston
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
David Ortiz, DH
Jed Lowrie, SS
Mike Cameron, RF
Carl Crawford, LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Chicago
Starlin Castro, SS
Dawin Barney, 2B
Jeff Baker, 3B
Aramis Ramirez, DH
Carlos Pena, 1B
Marlon Byrd, CF
Alfonso Soriano, LF
Reed Johnson, RF
Koyie Hill, C
