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Red Sox try to solve road woes in Oakland

May 24, 2008 - 1:45 PM Boston (31-20) at Oakland (26-23) 9:05 pm EDT

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - The best home team in the majors, the Boston Red Sox will be looking to snap a five-game road losing streak when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

The Red Sox are 21-5 at Fenway Park this season and are coming off a perfect seven-game homestand. But the road has not been nearly as kind, and Friday's 8-3 setback in the series opener dropped Boston's record to just 10-15 away from home.

Tim Wakefield allowed all eight runs in five innings on Friday. Frank Thomas and Mark Ellis each homered for the Athletics, who had five different players drive in at least one run.

After averaging seven runs per game during their most recent homestand, the Red Sox were held to just three runs on Friday and stymied by Rich Harden for the third time already this season.

Josh Beckett (5-3, 4.67 ERA) will try to snap the skid for Boston on Saturday. The ace righthander has been struggling lately, allowing 11 runs and 15 hits combined over his last two starts.

Beckett has allowed less than three runs in a start just twice this season after surrendering two runs or less in 18 of 30 outings last season when he finished second in the American League Cy Young award voting.

Oakland will counter with righthander Justin Duchscherer (3-3, 2.67). The converted reliever gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings, walking two while striking out two, to suffer his second loss in as many starts during Sunday's 5-2 setback to the Atlanta Braves.