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Ramirez, Red Sox look to take series vs. Mariners

Jun 8, 2008 - 2:04 PM Seattle (22-40) at Boston (39-26) 1:35 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox are in a race to get to 40.

Ramirez and the Red Sox aim for their third straight series victory when they face the lowly Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

Boston crushed Seattle, 11-3, on Saturday for its fourth win in five games. Drew went 3-for-5 with a homer and a triple and Ramirez belted a two-run shot for the Red Sox, who along with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim could all reach the 40-win mark on Sunday.

Since Ramirez hit his 500th homer against the Baltimore Orioles on May 31, the Boston slugger has gone 18-for-46 (.391) with six homers in a seven-game span to get his overall batting average up to .303.

The Red Sox send Justin Masterson (2-0, 2.95 ERA) to the mound as the rookie try to continue an impressive start to his major league career. The 23-year-old righthander has gone at least six innings in his three starts while limiting opponents to a .175 batting average.

Seattle, losers of five of six and 13 of 17, hand the ball to Erik Bedard (4-4, 4.47) in hopes he can shut Boston down once again.

The 29-year-old lefthander held the Red Sox to two hits in seven innings while striking out eight in a 1-0 home victory on May 28. However, Bedard has failed to last through the fifth inning in three of his last five outings and was taken out after just 3 1/3 frames in a 5-4 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday.

Seattle is 3-2 in its last five games vs. Boston.