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Struggling Red Sox turn to Lester against Burnett

Sep 18, 2007 - 1:10 PM Boston (90-61) at Toronto (75-75) 7:05 pm EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) - A pair of trends will have to reverse Tuesday if the Boston Red Sox expect to put an end to their recent struggles.

The Red Sox, losers of three of their last four games to watch their American League East lead dwindle to just 3 1/2 games over the New York Yankees (86-64), send Jon Lester to the hill to stop the bleeding against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

The second-year southpaw threw a seven-inning gem in a 4-0 shutout over Baltimore on September 7 - his third win in as many starts.

But since then, Josh Beckett is the only Boston starter to register a victory. Other than Beckett, the Sox starters have been a combined 0-4 with a 7.94 ERA. In his last start, Lester (4-0, 4.86 ERA) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up four runs and walking four on 93 pitches last Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Lester now faces off against an opponent who has had his way with the Red Sox during his young career. A.J. Burnett (8-7, 3.42) is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts vs. Boston.

He had a hand in Boston's September swoon last fall, dominating in a complete game, three-hitter September 2 and giving up just one earned run in seven strong innings en route to a 5-3 victory September 23.

This season, after battling shoulder trouble that landed him on the disabled list twice, he has hit his stride over the last month. He has gone at least seven innings in five straight starts. In his last two, he has held opponents to two runs in 16 innings while striking out 16 and walking just three.

Toronto got back to the .500 mark with a 6-1 victory in the first game of the series Monday night. Frank Thomas posted his second three-homer game vs. Boston and Dustin McGowan pitched his second career complete game.