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Surging Red Sox take on Rangers

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:26 AM Boston (83-57) at Texas (69-73) 8:05 p.m. EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox are starting to get healthy at the right time - with a second straight division title fully within reach.

The defending champions brought three key players off the disabled list on Friday - starting pitcher Josh Beckett, third baseman Mike Lowell and first baseman Sean Casey - and it paid immediate dividends as the club pulled to within 2 1/2 games of the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays (85-54). Beckett threw five shutout innings and Lowell homered as the Red Sox defeated the Texas Rangers, 8-1. On Saturday, the teams will meet again.

Boston will get one more piece of good news, as first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who has been battling back spasms, is expected to return to the lineup.

The Red Sox have won four straight and, thanks to three losses in four games for the Rays, have quickly closed the gap.

Taking the hill for Boston will be knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (8-9, 3.76 ERA), who is coming off a tough loss in his last start. He gave up three runs and six hits over six innings in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. He's had trouble with the Rangers during his career, going 10-14 with a hefty 5.66 ERA in 32 appearances, including 25 starts.

Rookie lefthander Matt Harrison (6-3, 5.73) will counter for Texas. The 6-4, 225-pounder helped the Red Sox out on August 16, as he held the Rays to three hits over eight innings, striking out eight in a 3-0 Rangers win.