Red Sox 1 - 3 Guardians
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Struggling Red Sox head to Cleveland seeking first win

Apr 5, 2011 - 2:27 PM

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(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox turn to Josh Beckett to stop the bleeding when they open a three-game set against the Cleveland Indians this evening at Progressive Field.

Boston was swept by the defending American League champion Texas Rangers over the weekend, getting outscored 26-11 while surrendering 11 home runs in the three-game season-opening set. The Red Sox' starters bore the brunt of it, as Jon Lester, John Lackey and Clay Buchholz surrendered 18 of those runs in a combined 15 1/3 innings.

"We're not very happy with the series. That's an understatement," Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I think there's a difference between being aggravated at a series as opposed to sitting around and panic enters. It would have been a lot more fun going on the flight with a win and feeling good about yourself."

Prized free agent acquisition Carl Crawford had two hits in Sunday's 5-1 loss, but had been 0-for-7 with four strikeouts in the first two games of the set. Boston's other big offseason pickup, Adrian Gonzalez, is 5-for-13 and has knocked in three runs.

The Red Sox are 0-3 for the first time since losing their first five games of the 1996 campaign. Ironically, that season also started with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rangers.

"We didn't play a very good series," Francona said. "We got outplayed all the way around. They hit better than us, they pitched better than us. Now we have to go regroup and try to get us a win so we feel better about ourselves."

Getting that win now falls on the right arm of Beckett, who is coming off his worst season in the majors. He went 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA in 21 injury-plagued starts in 2010.

Beckett, who dealt with back issues last season, is just 3-4 lifetime against the Indians with a 5.56 ERA in seven starts.

Cleveland, meanwhile, gave up 23 runs in losing its first two games of the year to the Chicago White Sox, but avoided a sweep on Sunday. Orlando Cabrera belted a two-run homer and Carlos Santana's diving catch ignited a triple play, helping the Indians to a 7-1 win.

Justin Masterson (1-0) was efficient in a 98-pitch start for Cleveland, scattering seven hits and giving up one run in seven innings to record the win.

"You get a couple guys on with no outs," Masterson said of the triple play. "Then you catch a good break... three batters, three outs."

Getting the call for the Tribe tonight will be righty Josh Tomlin, who was 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts as a rookie last season.

Cleveland split its eight games with the Red Sox last season.






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