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Red Sox, Giants meet for first time in 95 years

Jun 15, 2007 - 1:38 PM San Francisco (30-35) at Boston (41-24) 7:05 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox start a series on Friday that time seemingly forgot as they host the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park for the first time in 95 years.

When these two teams last met, the Giants - then in New York - had pitcher Christy Mathewson squaring off against fellow Hall of Famer Tris Speaker in the 1912 World Series. Boston went on to win the championship in eight games, as Game Two finished in tie.

Friday will feature the Giants' Barry Zito against the heavy-hitting duo of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

Zito (6-6, 4.02 ERA), who is 5-5 with a 4.78 ERA in 13 career starts vs. Boston, looks to rebound from being roughed up by his former team. In a 6-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, he surrendered four runs and nine hits in just four innings.

The lefthander will be responsible with the tough task of try to stop a stretch where the Giants have lost 13 of their last 19 contests to fall into the cellar of the National League West.

The Red Sox will hand the ball to former San Francisco reliever Julian Tavarez (3-4, 5.25), who is looking to post his first winning decision in four outings. The righthander has not figured into a decision over his last three starts, including Saturday's 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks in 10 innings.

Tavarez is 2-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 13 appearances - including two starts - against the Giants since he left the team for the Colorado Rockies following the 1999 season.

As slugger Barry Bonds stands eight homers short of tying the all-time record of 755 held by Hank Aaron, he will attempt to homer against one of three teams he has never hit one against. Tampa Bay and Cleveland are the others.