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May 25, 2010 - 4:39 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Boston (24-21) at Tampa Bay (32-12), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox had major problems while getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays at home last month, a big reason they remain in an early hole in the AL East.

Both the left-hander and his club are trying to prove their poor starts are in the past.

Lester looks to win a fifth straight decision and send the Red Sox to their fourth consecutive victory as he faces red-hot Rays righty James Shields at Tropicana Field on Tuesday.

Boston (25-21) began to avenge Tampa Bay's convincing four-game sweep at Fenway Park from April 16-19 with a 6-1 win in St. Petersburg on Monday night, limiting the major league-leading Rays (32-13) to six hits.

The Red Sox, who had gone 4-14 at Tampa Bay over the previous two seasons, have won six of seven overall as their starting pitching continues to stabilize. Their rotation had a 5.18 ERA after a two-game split at Yankee Stadium last week, but Boston starters have gone 5-1 with a 1.64 ERA in the club's last six games - all against division leader.

"We're getting great starting pitching. When you do that, all we have to do is put a couple runs on the board and those guys can take over," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said.

"We're in the middle of the year and just playing," Pedroia added. "We're playing some really good teams and just finding ways to win. That's a real good sign."

Lester (4-2, 3.47 ERA) needed only 103 pitches to finish a complete game Thursday against Minnesota, allowing one earned run and six hits while striking out nine without a walk in Boston's 6-2 win.

"He was relentless," manager Terry Francona said. "There's a lot of ways for him to go right now and still attack the strike zone."

The southpaw gave up 15 runs in his first three starts, allowing seven runs in six innings of a 7-1 home loss to the Rays on April 18. He hasn't lost since, going 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his last six outings, racking up 49 strikeouts over 43 2-3 innings in that stretch.

Shields (5-1, 3.08) has been enjoying a similar run, posting six consecutive quality starts. In his last five outings, he has 45 strikeouts and three walks.

He is coming off a win at Yankee Stadium, where he allowed four runs - three earned - in 7 1-3 innings of Thursday night's 8-6 victory.

While Shields is 4-7 with a 5.33 ERA in his career against the Red Sox, he's 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last three home starts versus Boston. He also earned his first win at Fenway Park on April 17.

Kevin Youkilis is 3 for 26 (.115) with nine strikeouts against Shields, but the Boston slugger has been locked in lately. After hitting a two-run home run Monday, he has five homers and 12 RBIs in his last eight games.

Since 2006, the cleanup hitter has 28 homers in May and no more than 15 in any other month.

Victor Martinez, who bats in front of Youkilis, may miss Tuesday's game after Jason Bartlett's foul tip struck the catcher in the foot Monday, but the Red Sox expect outfielder Mike Cameron to be activated from the disabled list and make his first appearance since April 18.

The Rays, who are batting .235 against left-handed pitching but have a major league-high 15 wins when the opposing starter is a southpaw, are hoping to avoid their first back-to-back losses since a season-worst three-game skid May 8-10.

"They got us (Monday)," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of the Red Sox. "We didn't play badly. They beat us."