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Orioles-Red Sox Preview

Jul 25, 2009 - 4:01 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Baltimore (41-53) at Boston (55-39), 7:10 p.m. EDT

It turned out a return home and a matchup with the Baltimore Orioles was enough to end the Boston Red Sox's five-game losing streak.

With Jon Lester facing perhaps his favorite opponent Saturday, the Red Sox hope they can begin a string of victories.

Lester will be looking to improve to 9-0 in his career against the Orioles, a team he's already shut down twice this year and may need to again if Boston can't finally reverse its offensive woes.

The Red Sox (56-39) dropped the final five games of their road trip - also surrendering first place in the AL East - before Friday's series opener, which they won 3-1 behind a strong performance from right-hander Brad Penny.

They're now 7-1 against Baltimore (41-54) this year, having won 14 of 16 against the Orioles since July 12, 2008. They're also 32-14 at Fenway Park, where Baltimore has lost 10 in a row.

"They give you a little more energy," Penny said of Boston's fans. "If you can't feel good here, you can't feel good anywhere."

Boston failed to gain ground on the New York Yankees, however, remaining 2 1/2 games behind. The team also continues to lack offensive punch, having averaged 2.3 runs in seven games since the All-Star break after scoring 5.3 runs per game in the first half.

The Red Sox may look to Adam LaRoche to provide a boost Saturday in what would be his debut with the team. They acquired the first baseman from Pittsburgh this week in exchange for prospects.

With Lester (8-7, 3.87 ERA) on the mound, the Red Sox may not need much production. In 10 career starts against the Orioles, the left-hander is 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA, and he's allowed a total of four runs while winning the last five in a row.

This year, he's struck out 17 in 14 scoreless innings, yielding nine hits. He has twice as many career wins against the Orioles as he does versus any other opponent.

"Maybe their lineup just fits me for some reason, I don't know," Lester said after Boston's 4-0 win on June 29. "I don't pitch any different against them than against any other team, but I'm just fortunate to get some runs early on and that's the biggest thing."

Lester is also 5-2 with a 1.75 ERA in his last nine starts overall, although he lost to 3-1 to Toronto and Roy Halladay despite pitching seven strong innings Sunday.

This time, he'll be trying to outduel Jeremy Guthrie, a right-hander coming off perhaps his best outing of what has been an unsteady season.

Guthrie (7-8, 5.12) allowed two runs and three hits in eight innings of a 10-2 win at the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. He said the All-Star break enabled him to physically recover from a virus - and perhaps shake off his difficult first half.

"If it served as a mental break as well, that's another positive," Guthrie said.

Guthrie struggled at Fenway on April 17, allowing eight runs - five earned - in 4 2-3 innings of Boston's 10-8 win.

The Orioles, who have lost four straight, are 1-6 to start their nine-game trip and an AL-worst 15-33 on the road.