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Red Sox-Angels Preview

Jul 26, 2010 - 10:40 PM Boston (55-44) at Los Angeles (52-49), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Dan Haren won't have much time to adjust to his new surroundings.

One day after being acquired from Arizona, the right-hander will make his debut for the Los Angeles Angels when they open a three-game series against the slumping Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

The Angels (52-49) are seven games back of first-place Texas in the AL West, but they received a big lift in their postseason quest by acquiring Haren from the Diamondbacks for pitcher Joe Saunders and three other players Sunday.

Haren was 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA and tied for the NL lead with 141 strikeouts in 21 starts for Arizona.

"At this point, being on the West Coast has a lot of value to me, being near my family and going to a ballclub that is dedicated to winning," Haren said. "I am very excited for the opportunity. I am sad to go from here, all the guys and I had a good time here but I am really excited about going there and having a chance to win."

Haren faced the Red Sox (55-44) in interleague play June 17, allowing six runs - four earned - over 5 2-3 innings in losing 8-5 at Fenway Park. He is 2-4 in seven starts against Boston despite posting a 3.14 ERA.

He'll be looking to help the Angels get back on track after losing three of four over the weekend to the Rangers. Los Angeles trails Tampa Bay by nine games for the wild card.

"We still have a lot of time ... It's too early to quit now," designated hitter Hideki Matsui said through an interpreter after Sunday's 6-4 loss.

Boston's best chance to make the postseason seems to be the wild card, as it is five games back of the Rays. The Red Sox, coming off Sunday's 4-2 loss in Seattle, were one-half game out of first place in the AL East on July 3 but have dropped 12 of 18 to fall eight behind division-leading New York.

"We need to start playing better, not only offensively but all sides of the game," third baseman Adrian Beltre told the Red Sox's official website. "No doubt offensively we've been down, but we know we can do better."

Boston's Clay Buchholz (10-5, 2.81) will be trying to bounce back from a disappointing start.

Buchholz allowed five runs and six hits in four innings of a 6-4 loss to Oakland on Wednesday in his first outing since injuring his left hamstring June 26. The right-hander yielded more than three runs for the first time since May 8.

"I thought he looked like he had some rust," manager Terry Francona said. "He left a couple of fastballs over the plate that really did a lot of damage. The game was a little quick for him. He'll be OK. He's healthy."

Buchholz, 2-2 with a 6.35 ERA in four starts against Los Angeles, gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 17-8 win over the Angels on May 3.

Boston outscored Los Angeles 36-16 in sweeping a four-game series at Fenway in early May, but many of the Red Sox's most productive hitters in that series - Mike Lowell (five RBIs), Victor Martinez (five RBIs) and Dustin Pedroia (three RBIs) - are on the DL. Martinez, batting .289 with nine homers and 38 RBIs, could be activated for the opener.