• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Red Sox look to continue their hot play behind Matsuzaka

Jun 22, 2007 - 12:39 PM Boston (46-25) at San Diego (41-30) 10:05 pm EDT

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) - Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Boston Red Sox will look to continue their surge atop the American League East when they take on the first-place San Diego Padres on Friday night.

The Red Sox got off to a blistering start to the season, going 36-15 to take a 14-1/2 game lead over the archrival New York Yankees in the American League East.

But since then, the club has struggled a bit, dropping nine of its next 15 to see the surging Yankees cut the lead to 7 1/2 games on June 14. However, while New York got swept by the Colorado Rockies this week, Boston seemingly has found its groove again.

The Red Sox have won five of their last six games, including an 11-0 drubbing of the Atlanta Braves - their second shutout in a row - on Wednesday. J.D. Drew, Coco Crisp, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Eric Hinske homered and Julian Tavarez hurled seven outstanding innings.

Boston looks to keep it going behind Daisuke Matsuzaka (8-5, 4.18 ERA), who is coming off one of his best outings of the season his last time out. The Japanese import tossed seven strong innings, allowing just three hits in a 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants last Saturday.

It will not be the first trip to Petco Park for Matsuzaka, who was named MVP of the World Baseball Classic at the stadium in 2006. His success in the inaugural tournament helped spark a bidding war for his services prior to the campaign.

The Padres, who have lost five of six at home, are coming off two straight loss at Petco to the struggling Baltimore Orioles. In the series finale, Michael Barrett made his debut with San Diego a day after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs but had no success, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The aim to snap the skid behind veteran Greg Maddux (6-3, 3.90), who has gone 5-1 with a 2.75 ERA in six starts at home this campaign. Maddux also is 5-0 with a 3.42 ERA in seven outings vs. the Red Sox in his career.