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Red Sox aim for sweep of Rangers

Aug 14, 2008 - 10:05 AM Texas (61-60) at Boston (70-51) 7:05 p.m. EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox have had no trouble solving the Texas Rangers' pitchers in the first two games of this series. The Red Sox will look to pound their way to a sweep when they host the series final on Thursday.

After a stirring, 19-17, victory in the opener on Tuesday that include a pair of blown 10-run leads, Boston kept its foot on the gas offensively on Wednesday, pounding out 12 hits en route to an 8-4 victory.

Kevin Youkilis, who homered twice on Tuesday, chipped in three doubles while driving in two runs. Rookie Jed Lowrie drove in two runs and has multiple RBI in seven of his last 11 games.

The Texas offense, which was stymied Wednesday by lefthander Jon Lester, will be without major league RBI leader Josh Hamilton in the finale. The slugger left Wednesday's game to fly back to Texas when his wife went into labor.

The Red Sox will go for the sweep behind righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-2, 2.90 ERA). The Japanese star is coming off his strongest start of the season Saturday at Chicago, when he allowed one run and four hits in a season-high eight innings to earn a win.

Matsuzaka has been one of the top pitchers in the AL over the past six weeks, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.17 ERA and 42 strikeouts in eight starts.

The Rangers were scheduled to send veteran Vicente Padilla to the mound in the finale, but the righthander had to be scratched due to inflammation of his SC joint in his right shoulder.

Instead, Texas will give rookie Tommy Hunter (0-1, 10.61) his third career start. The 22-year-old righthander has struggled in each of his two previous starts, allowing 11 runs and 16 hits in 9 1/3 total frames.