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Red Sox hurler Lackey gets another shot at A's

Apr 19, 2011 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - John Lackey takes on a familiar foe tonight, when he leads the Boston Red Sox into the opener of a quick two-game series against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum.

Lackey pitched in the AL West with the Angels from 2002-2009 and is 17-5 with a 2.90 earned run average in 31 career starts against the Athletics. Lackey is 1-1 with a less desirable 15.58 ERA in two starts for Boston this season and captured his first victory on April 8 versus the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. In the 9-6 triumph over the despised Yankees, Lackey was banged around for six runs and seven hits in five innings.

The right-hander hopes to keep the Red Sox on the winning trail after they took the last three meetings of a four-game series versus Toronto, including Monday's 9-1 drubbing in the series finale. Jed Lowrie had a big day by going 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI, while Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury both went deep for the Red Sox.

Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka allowed only one hit over seven scoreless innings for his first win of 2011 and retired the final 16 batters he faced.

"He found his slider later, threw some good cutters, threw some cutters that backed out, the four-seamer was pretty good," said Boston veteran catcher Jason Varitek. "He was in the vicinity of where he was trying to go and allowed us to do a little more."

Boston has won five of nine games after beginning the season 0-6. It will also visit the Angels and Orioles on the nine-game road swing.

Oakland just split a four-game series with Detroit thanks to a pair of wins in the back end of the set. In Sunday's 5-1 victory in the series finale, starter Trevor Cahill gave up one run on four hits and struck out nine batters without issuing a walk over eight innings of work.

"Great job by Trevor today," Oakland manager Bob Geren said. "He definitely answered the challenge, going eight innings and throwing 112 pitches."

Josh Willingham drove in two runs and Conor Jackson, Hideki Matsui and Cliff Pennington knocked in a run apiece for the A's, winners in six of their last nine contests.

Brett Anderson is still searching for his first win of the new campaign and is 0-1 with a 2.29 ERA in three trips to the hill. Anderson last pitched in a 7-4 win at the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday and did not record a decision after he allowed three runs -- two earned -- and nine hits in 5 2/3 frames.

The left-hander has fared well in his career against Boston, going 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five starts.

Boston and Oakland are meeting for the first time since the Athletics took five of nine encounters a season ago. The A's are 9-3 in the previous 12 matchups with the Red Sox at the Coliseum.