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Red Sox-Rangers Preview

Aug 14, 2009 - 12:20 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Boston (65-48) at Texas (63-49), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Boston Red Sox got plenty of attention for being swept in four games by their arch-rivals last weekend, but this weekend's three-game set may be even more important.

Their hopes in the AL East now fading, the Red Sox will be clinging to a one-half game lead on the Texas Rangers in the wild-card race when they arrive in Arlington on Friday to open a three-game series with Jon Lester on the mound.

Boston won three out of four at home against Detroit this week, but the team still has a six-game road losing streak after its winless road trip to Tampa Bay and New York last week.

The Red Sox (65-49) also lost three straight at Texas from July 20-22, and they dropped four in a row at Yankee Stadium last weekend. They had major offensive problems in both series, scoring six total runs against the Rangers and enduring a 31-inning scoreless streak against the Yankees.

Their offense had shown signs of revival against the Tigers, but they haven't scored in 12 straight innings after losing the finale 2-0 on Thursday.

The August stumble has left Boston in a precarious spot in the postseason chase, with a significant gap opening between the Yankees and Red Sox in the division. Boston will now likely have to hold off Texas and Tampa Bay if it hopes to reach the playoffs for the third straight year.

"It's an important series," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We want to win the series, just like they want to win the series. They know how to win. They've been around. They're not going anyplace."

The Rangers (64-49) are the most imminent threat, pulling even with Boston in the loss column after beating Cleveland 4-1 on Thursday to take the three-game series.

They now return home, where they're 37-21, after allowing one total run in the final two games against the Indians, with Kevin Millwood taking the ball for Texas' much-improved staff Friday.

Millwood (9-7, 3.38 ERA) has been perhaps the Rangers' best starter, and the team's 4.12 ERA ranks second in the AL after Texas was last in the majors with a 5.37 ERA last year.

After missing two weeks due to a strained gluteus muscle, Millwood bounced back by allowing two runs in six innings Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, but the Rangers lost 3-2.

"I expected to pitch well and for the most part I felt like I did," Millwood told the Rangers' official Web site.

Millwood has pitched very well against Boston this year, winning both his starts with a 1.38 ERA.

Lester, however, was even more brilliant against Texas on June 6 at Fenway Park, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning before settling for a complete-game 8-1 win. He allowed two hits and struck out 11 in Boston's only victory in six games against the Rangers this year after the Red Sox took last season's series 9-1.

"That was just lights out," Texas' Michael Young said that night. "That was one of the best games I've seen in my career by a pitcher."

This will be the first start for Lester (9-7, 3.67) at Rangers Ballpark, but he's been sharp everywhere lately. He gave up one run in seven innings at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, although he didn't get a decision in Boston's 5-2 defeat.

The left-hander is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA in his last 13 starts, with 103 strikeouts in 87 2-3 innings over that span.