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Aug 1, 2009 - 3:59 AM By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor

Boston (59-42) at Baltimore (44-57), 7:05 p.m. EDT

A slumping offense in July prompted the Boston Red Sox to make a major move at the trade deadline. The addition of Victor Martinez figures to make for a much more productive August.

Martinez is expected to make his Red Sox debut Saturday night when Boston sends ace Josh Beckett to the mound in search of his major league-leading 13th win against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Boston (60-42) acquired a big name at the deadline for the third straight season, picking up three-time All-Star Martinez from Cleveland on Friday for reliever Justin Masterson and minor league pitchers Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price.

Martinez, who had spent his entire eight-year career with Cleveland, is batting .284 with 15 homers and 67 RBIs this season.

"Everybody knows I play to win," Martinez said. "I love this game and I'll go there and do the same thing. As soon as I cross the line, I'm all about winning. I want a World Series ring."

Martinez will likely share catching duties with Jason Varitek and could also see time at designated hitter and first base.

"What we're getting in Victor is a middle of the order, switch-hitting batter, who can catch, play first, DH," manager Terry Francona said. "It's a very valuable piece, There are a lot of things to like about Victor. He can help take a little off Tek (Varitek) and we can do a lot to hopefully be able to attack a lot of the better pitching in the league."

Boston's offense was already formidable before acquiring Martinez but did slow down a bit in July.

The Red Sox were 18-8 and scored 138 runs while batting .260 in June, compared to a 13-12 record in July with 121 runs and a .248 average.

On Friday night, Kevin Youkilis put Boston ahead with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury also connected as the Red Sox won the opener of this three-game series 6-5.

Ortiz has two home runs in two games since the revelation that he was on the list of more than 100 major leaguers who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

"I don't think about that when I'm playing. That's how you've got to do it," Ortiz said. "If you think about problems when you're playing, you're not going to be able to do what you've got to do. We need to win games and move on."

The win was the ninth in 11 games against Baltimore (44-58) this season for Boston, which moved within 1 1/2 games of the AL East-leading New York Yankees.

Rookie Nolan Reimold and Aubrey Huff hit two-run homers for the Orioles, losers of 10 of 14 since the All-Star break.

Beckett (12-4, 3.44 ERA) became the first 12-game winner in the AL with an 8-3 victory over Oakland on Monday, when he gave up three runs and eight hits in seven innings while walking one and striking out 10.

That allowed the right-hander to match his victory total from all last season. Beckett has won three of his last four starts and is 9-2 with a 2.33 ERA over his last 15 outings.

He is 4-1 with a 3.47 ERA in seven career starts at Baltimore, striking out 45 and walking seven in those appearances.

Orioles third baseman Ty Wigginton has hit Beckett well, going 9 for 28 (.321) with four homers and three doubles.

After excellent back-to-back outings at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, Baltimore's David Hernandez (3-2, 3.20) looks to continue his impressive run. The rookie right-hander limited the Red Sox to one run and five hits with two strikeouts and no walks in seven innings Sunday as the Orioles avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory.

The 24-year-old retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced in a 2-1 loss to the Yankees on July 20.

Hernandez has surrendered three earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts.