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Red Sox-Rangers Preview

Jul 21, 2009 - 4:36 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Boston (55-36) at Texas (49-41), 8:05 p.m. EDT

It's been more than two months since the Boston Red Sox needed to stop a losing streak, but they'll be happy to have ace Josh Beckett on the mound Tuesday as they try to avoid their longest skid of the season.

The Texas Rangers, meanwhile, will be looking for their third straight victory as the teams continue their three-game series in Arlington, with both trying to gain ground in their tightening division races.

The Red Sox (55-37) hadn't lost three straight since May 13-15 until Monday, when their 6-3 loss at Texas followed back-to-back defeats to close a weekend series in Toronto.

Boston, which fell into a tie with the New York Yankees for the AL East lead, hasn't been in second place since June 8. It also hasn't lost four in a row in more than a year, since a five-game slide June 28-July 2, 2008.

An uncharacteristically meek offense has been the main problem lately. The Red Sox have scored six total runs during their losing streak, with one home run over that span even though the team is tied for fifth in the majors with 110 homers.

The Rangers lead all of baseball with 139 home runs, three of which came Monday. Texas (50-41) has won back-to-back games after a four-game losing streak to pull within 2 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West.

It will likely be tougher for Texas' lineup Tuesday against Beckett (11-3, 3.35 ERA). The right-hander finished his first half with a three-hit shutout of Kansas City last Sunday, continuing his Cy Young Award-caliber stretch.

Since the beginning of May, Beckett is 9-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 13 starts, with opponents hitting .204 against him. The 6-0 win over the Royals was the 100th victory of his career.

"It don't think it comes that easy for him as people may think," Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said of the Texas native. "He falls off it as much as anybody and has to make adjustments during games. He's pretty much a bulldog."

Beckett has been outstanding in his two previous appearances in Arlington, winning both while allowing one run in 12 innings.

He could have a tough matchup against Texas rookie Tommy Hunter (1-1, 2.35). The right-hander turned in the best start of his major league career in his last outing, allowing four hits and three walks in six shutout innings at Seattle on July 9, although the Rangers lost 3-1.

"I wish I could have gotten the pitch counts down," Hunter told the Rangers' official Web site. "I walked too many people again. There's always things you improve on. Just trying to go out there and get better and better each time."

The Red Sox have struggled against rookie starters lately, scoring a combined three runs in 36 innings off Washington's Jordan Zimmermann, Atlanta's Tommy Hanson, Baltimore's Brad Bergesen, Oakland's Brett Anderson and Toronto's Marc Rzepczynski - all in the last month.

They had no problem with Hunter last Aug. 14, however, pounding him for nine runs in 1 2-3 innings at Fenway Park. That was part of a brief stint in the majors for Hunter, who was sent down after the start.