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Phillies-Red Sox Preview

Jun 13, 2010 - 1:39 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Philadelphia (31-28) at Boston (36-27), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The last time he faced the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox right-hander Tim Wakefield won his first game in more than 10 months. When he takes on the Phillies this time, the veteran knuckleballer will go for his first victory at Fenway Park in nearly a year.

Trying to beat the slumping Phillies for the second time in less than a month, Wakefield gets the ball Sunday when the Red Sox try to sweep their series.

Facing Philadelphia for the first time in four seasons, Wakefield (2-4, 5.48 ERA) threw eight shutout innings in an 8-3 win at Citizens Bank Park on May 23 for his first victory since July 8 against Oakland. Since that 5-4 win against the Athletics, Wakefield is 0-4 with a 6.85 ERA in nine appearances at Fenway Park.

The 43-year-old, though, won his second straight road start Tuesday, retiring 15 straight at one point in a 3-2 victory against Cleveland. A member of the Red Sox since 1995, Wakefield surrendered four hits in 7 1/3 innings to move past Roger Clemens for the franchise lead with 2,777 innings pitched.

"Wake was nails," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "That's kind of neat on a night he sets a record. He pumped a lot of strikes and used his fastball and breaking ball at times, too."

Wakefield will try to help the Red Sox (37-27) win their seventh straight at home over the Phillies. Called up from Triple-A Pawtucket before the game, Daniel Nava became the second player in major league history to hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw, sparking Boston to a 10-2 victory and its eighth straight series win in this matchup.

He came up the next inning with the bases loaded but struck out on a check swing.

"I wanted to treat it like I normally do," said Nava, the 10th player in Red Sox history to homer in his first at-bat. "I just said, `How are you guys doing (to umpire Bill Hohn and catcher Brian Schneider)?' They didn't say anything."

Nava added a double and J.D. Drew went 3 for 4 with a homer to lead the 16-hit attack. The Red Sox are batting .418 with 15 extra-base hits in the series.

Philadelphia (31-29) hasn't been nearly as successful at the plate, scoring four total runs and batting .216 in its last three games.

Philadelphia, which has lost 17 of 23, will try to get back on track with Cole Hamels (5-5, 3.98) on the mound. The left-hander is trying to avoid losing four straight starts for the first time since June 11-28, 2006.

Hamels did not allow a hit through 7 1/3 innings Monday against San Diego before Adrian Gonzalez and Scott Hairston hit back-to-back solo homers.

"You don't expect to get beat by solo home runs, but unfortunately, I've had a few of those in there," Hamels told the Phillies' official website following the 3-1 loss. "But I just have to go out there and keep plugging away."

Hamels, 1-3 with a 7.48 ERA in five career interleague road starts, struck out eight and pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in a 5-1 victory over the visiting Red Sox on May 21.

Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez will likely be behind the plate Sunday after getting Saturday off. Martinez, who is batting .438 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in his last 20 games, is 2 for 6 with a homer lifetime versus Hamels.

Boston has won 19 of 24 against Philadelphia.