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Beckett, Red Sox kick off doubleheader in Chicago

Aug 24, 2007 - 1:57 PM Boston (76-51) at Chi White Sox (56-70) 2:05 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- One day later than expected, Josh Beckett goes for win No. 16.

The Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox will play a day-night doubleheader Friday at U.S. Cellular Field after torrential rains wiped out Thursday's series opener.

The postponement will give White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen a chance to shuffle his pitching rotation, and instead of rookie John Danks facing off against Beckett, veteran Jon Garland will get the call. Danks will be pushed back to the nightcap.

Beckett (15-5, 3.15 ERA) will take his second shot at win No. 16, which would lead the major leagues. One of the frontrunners in a crowded battle for the American League Cy Young award this season, the 27-year-old righthander has been sharp of late, allowing a total of four earned runs over his last three outings.

Since coming over to the Red Sox prior to the 2006 season, Beckett is 2-0 against the White Sox. On July 20 at Fenway Park, he held Chicago to three runs and four hits in six innings, striking out 10.

Garland (8-9, 4.84) has been terrible of late, going 1-3 with a 9.10 ERA over his past six starts. He owns a career 3-4 mark with a 5.40 ERA in 11 games - eight starts - against the Red Sox.

Boston is coming off a 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Wednesday in which it stranded 14 runners on base.

That setback dropped the Red Sox's lead in the AL East to five games over the New York Yankees.

Chicago is coming off a series win over the Kansas City Royals. The two wins in the three-game set kept them out of sole possession of last place in the AL Central.