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Orioles-Red Sox Preview

Sep 22, 2010 - 4:54 AM By MATT BROWN STATS Editor

Baltimore (60-90) at Boston (83-67), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Emblematic of the seasons endured by their respective teams, neither Boston's John Lackey nor Baltimore's Kevin Millwood has enjoyed the 2010 for which he'd hoped.

The good news for the struggling offseason acquisitions Wednesday is that only one of them can lose.

Lackey seeks to end his personal four-game skid while Millwood tries to avoid becoming the AL's first 16-game loser as the Red Sox and Orioles conclude their season series at Fenway Park.

Boston and Baltimore both expected big things out of their new veteran right-handers. The Red Sox made Lackey the centerpiece of their offseason, signing him to an $82.5 million, five-year deal in the hope he'd form a trio of aces with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

After acquiring Millwood - who won 13 games for Texas in 2009 - the Orioles tabbed him as their opening-day starter.

The highlights have been few for either pitcher since. Millwood (3-15, 5.14 ERA) is the league leader in losses, while Lackey (12-11, 4.63) is in danger of exceeding the highest ERA of his career (4.67 in 2004) and could post a losing record for the first time since he went 10-16 in 2003 - his first full major league season.

As for their teams, Boston (83-68) is nearly certain to miss the postseason for only the second time in eight years. Baltimore (61-90) has played much better since Buck Showalter replaced Juan Samuel as manager at the end of July, going 29-17, but is already assured of its fifth consecutive 90-loss season.

The Orioles have gotten the better of their AL East rivals this week, taking the first two games at Fenway to claim a 9-8 edge in a season series they haven't won since 2004. Another victory Wednesday would give Baltimore its first three-game sweep in Boston since June 10-12, 1994.

Lackey hasn't looked like an ace all season but has pitched his worst lately, posting a 5.47 ERA while losing his last four starts. It's the first four-game skid since 2004 for the right-hander, who has never dropped five straight decisions.

He got booed off the field in Friday's 11-9 loss to Toronto after giving up seven runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings while walking two batters and hitting three others.

"It is what is: I didn't pitch well and didn't give us a chance to win," said Lackey, who is 9-4 with a 3.16 lifetime ERA versus Baltimore.

Millwood, meanwhile, has pitched better in recent weeks. He has a 3.02 ERA in his last eight starts but a 1-4 record to show for it due to weak run support. The right-hander limited the Yankees to one run over seven innings Friday, but Koji Uehara blew a two-run lead in the ninth and the Orioles lost 4-3.

Millwood is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in four starts against Boston over the last two seasons.

The Orioles and Red Sox were tied through six innings Tuesday before Ty Wigginton broke open the game with a three-run homer around the Pesky Pole in right field. It was his 21st home run of the season - second on the club behind Luke Scott's 27 - but was his first in 25 games.

"It feels good any time you get a homer," Wigginton said. "You take them any way you can get them."