Currently: An 11-game winning streak at home helped the Tampa Bay Rays move into first place in the AL East three weeks ago. The Boston Red Sox will have to top that streak to reclaim the division’s No. 1 spot.
Winners of 11 straight at Fenway Park, the Red Sox look to overtake the first-place Rays in the AL East again as the teams play the middle game of their series Wednesday night.
Boston (36-25) and Tampa Bay (35-23) have been flip-flopping between first and second place in the AL East, suggesting the teams could be battling throughout the season.
The Rays won 11 straight at home three weeks ago, and their final win of that streak moved them ahead of the Red Sox by one-half game on May 13. That victory also set the longest AL winning streak at home.
Boston regained the top spot on May 18, but fell back to second place seven days later and still trails Tampa Bay. The Red Sox, though, moved within one-half game of the Rays with a 7-4 win Tuesday, which extended Boston’s current run at home to 11 games.
If the Red Sox can jump ahead of the Rays for the AL’s longest home winning streak, they’ll also leapfrog them in the standings.
“It’s a good homecourt advantage,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.
Boston extended its run even after putting David Ortiz (wrist) on the 15-day disabled list prior to the game. With Ortiz sidelined, first baseman Kevin Youkilis replaced him in the No. 3 spot in the lineup and went 1-for-3.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew also could be used there.
“Even in the very beginning parts of the season, it wasn’t just Manny (Ramirez) and David,” Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said. “Now that David’s out, it’s even more noticeable that we do have a team where everybody contributes.”
Whoever bats third Wednesday will be trying to help Boston’s lineup give Josh Beckett (5-4, 4.30 ERA) some much-deserved run support. Beckett is 0-1 with a 2.77 ERA in his last two starts, and the Red Sox scored just two runs while he pitched.
The right-hander gave up two runs and four hits while striking out 10 in six innings as Boston won at Baltimore 5-2 in 13 innings on Friday.
Beckett is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts versus the Rays this season, and 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA in seven career starts.
Tampa Bay will counter with Edwin Jackson (3-4, 3.70 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in his last two starts after allowing one run or none in each of his previous three outings. The right-hander gave up four runs and a season-high 10 hits in six innings as the Rays lost 5-1 to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Jackson is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts versus the Red Sox this season, and 2-2 with a 5.50 ERA in six starts and three relief appearances lifetime.
Jackson has helped solidify a Rays rotation that has played a big role in helping Tampa Bay compete in the AL East. The Rays could certainly use a strong effort from Jackson after struggling against the Red Sox’s lineup in this series’ opener. Tampa Bay had yielded just four runs in its previous three games
DRaysBay
Over the Monster
