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Red Sox-White Sox Preview

Sep 6, 2009 - 1:01 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Boston (78-56) at Chicago (67-69), 2:05 p.m. EDT

With the Boston Red Sox's starting rotation looking as unstable as it has all season, there may be more pressure than usual on Jon Lester down the stretch.

The Red Sox will especially be hoping for a victory from Lester on Sunday as they try to avoid a third straight loss to the host Chicago White Sox, who will also have a strong left-hander on the mound in John Danks.

With ace Josh Beckett struggling and the back end of Boston's rotation in flux, Lester (11-7, 3.58 ERA) has been the steadiest presence for a team that seemed to enter the season with an abundance of starting pitching.

The left-hander has rarely faltered over the last three months, going 8-2 with a 2.28 ERA in 17 starts since May 31 - with Boston winning 13 of those games. He left his start at Tampa Bay on Tuesday for precautionary reasons with a sore groin, but still earned the win after allowing two runs and striking out nine in six innings of an 8-4 victory.

Lester, who didn't get a decision after allowing three runs in 6 2-3 innings of Boston's 6-3 win over the White Sox on Aug. 25, needs four strikeouts to reach 200 for the first time in his career.

The Red Sox (78-57) could use a quality effort from Lester after Paul Byrd couldn't get out of the third inning in the series opener, a 12-2 loss. Pitching with a nagging back injury, Tim Wakefield was better Saturday, but Boston lost 5-1 after Chicago's Gavin Floyd took a perfect game into the sixth inning.

"Sometimes you just tip your hat," Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia told the Red Sox's official Web site. "Those are the days like today - just move on and get after them tomorrow."

The White Sox have won three straight against Boston after losing 14 of their previous 17 to the Red Sox, who are clinging to a two-game lead over Texas in the AL wild-card race.

Chicago (68-69) has maintained its slim playoff hopes with its four-game overall winning streak, which has come after it lost nine of its previous 10 and seemingly gave up on the postseason by trading away Jim Thome and Jose Contreras.

The team's offense has been sparked in recent days by Mark Kotsay, who has two home runs and four RBIs in this series after the Red Sox designated him for assignment then traded him in July.

"We have some momentum, definitely," Kotsay told the White Sox's official Web site. "The confidence is a lot higher than it was on that last road trip."

Danks (12-8, 3.82) will try to help extend the team's longest winning streak since a seven-game run June 27-July 3. He's riding a string of five straight quality starts, going 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA over that span.

That includes a win at Fenway Park on Aug. 27 - his first over the Red Sox after he started his career with three straight losses to them. The last time he faced them at U.S. Cellular Field, he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning but Boston won 5-1 last Aug. 11.

The White Sox will be without standout rookie Gordon Beckham on Sunday after he left Saturday's game with an injury to his right side.