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Lowrie hopes to continue momentum as Red Sox meet Twins

May 11, 2008 - 3:30 PM Boston (24-15) at Minnesota (18-17), 8:05 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Rookie Jed Lowrie will try to build off a career night and prove to the Boston Red Sox that he belongs in the big leagues when they face the Minnesota Twins in the third contest of a four-game series.

With Sean Casey and Alex Cora both ready to come off the disabled list, Lowrie soon could be sent back to Class AA Portland. But he seems intent to make an impression before he leaves.

Lowrie snapped an 0-for-11 streak and finished with a career-high three hits, two runs scored and his first major league home run in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Twins. The shortstop finished a triple short of the cycle.

"It's something I can't control," Lowrie said of his looming demotion. "As a young player on this team, we've got so many good players and veteran players that my job is to just help whenever I can."

Boston will send knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (3-1, 3.33 ERA) to the mound on Sunday. Wakefield tossed eight scoreless innings in Tuesday's 5-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers, allowing just two hits and struck out six.

Nick Blackburn (2-2, 3.65) counters for Minnesota, which has won seven of its previous nine contests. The righthander allowed four runs - three earned - on six hits and three walks over six frames in Tuesday's 7-1 setback to the Chicago White Sox.