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Cubs hope to leave rare Fenway trip with series victory

May 22, 2011 - 2:40 PM (Sports Network) - With a series victory on the line, both the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox will turn to spot starters this evening for the finale of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Matt Garza was to close out the Cubs' first trip to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series, but is having his start skipped due to elbow tightness. He is scheduled to meet with team doctors on Monday.

Tim Wakefield, meanwhile, steps in for Boston due to John Lackey's right elbow strain that landed him on the disabled list. Wakefield was to fill-in for Lackey on Tuesday versus Baltimore, but that game was rained out.

Instead, the 44-year-old makes his third start of the season tonight and first since May 6, when he took the loss against Minnesota after allowing eight runs -- six earned -- on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings. He has pitched just once since, a 1 1/3-frame relief stint versus the Blue Jays on May 11.

The right-handed Wakefield is 0-1 with a 5.40 earned run average in 11 games this season and 3-1 in his career versus the Cubs with a 3.68 ERA.

The Cubs are likely to go with James Russell, who threw 39 pitches and three scoreless innings in Friday's opener. The left-hander made four starts earlier this year in place of the injured Andrew Cashner, but lost all four while posting a 10.05 ERA.

In 13 total appearances this season, the 25-year-old is 1-4 with a 6.26 ERA and it figures to be all hands on deck for Cubs manager Mike Quade tonight.

"The options [Sunday] are everybody," Quade told his team's website. "It literally could be a Spring Training type of game, where a couple here, a couple there."

The Cubs do have a scheduled day off on Monday.

After getting ripped, 15-5, in Friday's opener by the Red Sox, the Cubs answered back with a 9-3 victory on Saturday, going ahead with an eight-run eighth inning. However, the victory came with a taste of bitterness when center fielder Marlon Byrd left in the second inning after being hit by a pitch under his eye on the left side of his face.

Byrd did not lose consciousness and was able to walk off the field under his own power after spending some time on the ground in pain. He was expected to spend the night in the hospital.

"He took it pretty flush, from what I heard," Quade said on Chicago's website. "It's something that's dangerous enough that they're going to take a good look at it."

Byrd was replaced by Reed Johnson, who hit the go-ahead two-run double during Chicago's big eighth inning. Starlin Castro, Aramis Ramirez, Jeff Baker and Carlos Pena drove in a run each for the Cubs, who have won three of four and posted their first victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park since Sept. 10, 1918 in Game 5 of the World Series.

Matt Albers took the loss, charged with six runs -- five earned -- on three hits and two walks to snap Boston's season-best win streak at seven straight.

"I don't think he pitched as bad as his line showed," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Albers. "We dropped balls and threw them away. It got a little bit ugly."

David Ortiz hit a historic home run for the Red Sox, blasting his 300th homer with the organization. He joins Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Dwight Evans as the only other players to reach the mark with Boston.

Boston, which trails the Yankees and Rays by a half-game for first place in the American League East, went 13-5 in interleague play last season, while Chicago was 8-10 versus the AL.

These two clubs last met in 2005, with the Cubs winning two of three from the Red Sox at equally-historic Wrigley Field.