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Red Sox-Rangers Preview

Aug 12, 2010 - 10:05 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Boston (66-49) at Texas (65-48), 8:05 p.m. EDT

With the largest division lead in the majors, the Texas Rangers are in good position to secure their first playoff berth in more than a decade. The Boston Red Sox's chances of making the postseason for the fourth straight time have taken another hit.

The Rangers continue their homestand Friday night when they face the Red Sox in Arlington for the first time this season.

The Rangers (65-48), trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 1999, begin this three-game series with a 7 1/2-game advantage over Los Angeles in the AL West. That's allowed Texas to keep things in perspective after losses such as Wednesday's 7-6 defeat to New York, its third in four games.

The Rangers led 6-1 in the sixth inning with ace Cliff Lee on the mound.

"It's definitely tough, but (it's) just one game," outfielder David Murphy told the team's official website. "A sign of a good team is resiliency. ... We've shown it all season and we'll do it again on Friday."

Giving the ball to Tommy Hunter (9-1, 3.01 ERA) could help the Rangers get back on track. The right-hander bounced back from his first loss by pitching 6 1-3 innings of a 6-0 victory at Seattle last Thursday.

The Mariners went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position against Hunter.

Like Texas, Boston (66-50) is looking to rebound after being on the wrong end of a comeback victory. Three outs away from their fourth straight win, the Red Sox surrendered four ninth-inning runs as Jonathan Papelbon suffered his AL-worst sixth blown save in a 6-5 loss to Toronto on Thursday.

Boston, trailing Tampa Bay by four games for the wild card, fell to 4-3 on its 10-game trip.

"I didn't have much power or energy in my delivery today," said Papelbon, one save shy of becoming the first pitcher to reach 30 in his first five seasons.

Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.21) will look to bounce back while helping the Red Sox do the same.

The right-hander is coming off his worst outing of the year, allowing seven runs and a season-high 11 hits over 4 2-3 innings of a 7-2 road loss to the Yankees on Sunday.

While Beckett owns a 6.23 ERA in seven road starts this season, he is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three career outings in Arlington.

Josh Hamilton, the only player selected ahead of Beckett in the 1999 draft, is 4 for 9 with a homer against him. The major leagues' leading hitter at .357, Hamilton has batted .438 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs at home since May 11.

He went 10 for 27 with five doubles and a home run as Texas took four of seven at Boston this season.

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz is batting .310 on the trip and hit a solo homer Thursday. Ortiz, though, has gone 2 for 18 with eight strikeouts versus Texas this season.

He has two hits and a homer in eight at-bats against Hunter, who has gone 6-0 with a 2.53 ERA in seven home starts.

Texas, winner of 11 of 16 against Boston since the beginning of last season, went 5-1 at home against the Red Sox in 2009.