Rays Come to Boston With Hopes of Burying Red Sox’ Playoff Hopes for Good

When the Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to begin a three-game series late last month they were within 4 1/2 games of the wild card and division lead with 33 games to play. Hope was high.

As the Rays enter Fenway Park for the final three games of the season series between the two teams Boston is 7 1/2 back with 25 games to play. Hope is almost lost.

In order to keep their season alive to some degree, the Red Sox turn to Jon Lester in the series opener with the Rays on Monday.

Boston dropped all three games of a weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. The finale may have hurt more than any other game this season as the Sox' bullpen surrendered four runs in ninth inning of a 7-5 loss.

Tampa Bay gives the ball to Jeff Niemann in the series opener.

WHEN AND WHERE

Rays (83-53) at Red Sox (76-61)
Monday, Sept. 6, 7:10 p.m. NESN
Fenway Park, Boston

HEAD TO HEAD

Tampa Bay owns a 10-5 series advantage.

PITCHING MATCHUP

RHP Jeff Niemann (10-5, 3.97 ERA) vs. LHP Jon Lester (15-8, 3.27 ERA)

Lester's last outing was almost like two starts in one. He gave up four runs in the first and another in the second before tossing four scoreless frames and picking up the victory over Baltimore.

The lefty struck out 10 for the second straight game in improving to 13-0 vs. the Orioles.

Lester has a pretty good record against Tampa Bay, too. He is 8-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 15 career starts in the rivalry. The 26-year-old allowed one unearned run in seven innings of a 3-1 win at the Rays on Aug. 27.

In two starts since returning from a strained shoulder Niemann has given up 17 runs in 8 1/3 innings. However, he yielded only an unearned run in six innings to defeat Boston 3-2 on July 6.

LINEUPS

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STAT SHEET

Red Sox

• Catcher Victor Martinez's home run Sunday was his first at Fenway Park since June 19.
• Third baseman Adrian Beltre has 46 multi-hit games, tops in the majors at his position.
• Boston pitchers have collected double digits in strikeouts in seven of the last 14 games.

Rays

• Former Red Sox outfielder Rocco Baldelli homered Sunday in his first major league at bat since Oct. 2.
• Closer Rafael Soriano has 41 saves, two shy of matching the franchise record set by Roberto Hernandez in 1999.
• Tampa Bay's next road win will be its 41st and a new franchise record for one season.

BLACK AND BLUE

Red Sox

• Shortstop Marco Scutaro will get an MRI on his sore right shoulder Tuesday.
• Second baseman Dustin Pedroia had season-ending surgery Friday on his broken left foot. He is expected to be fully healed for spring training.
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has another broken rib near where he was hurt earlier in the year, the result of a collision at first base in Texas on Aug. 13. He will likely miss the remainder of the season.
• Center fielder Mike Cameron had season-ending surgery Friday to repair an abdominal tear.
• First baseman Kevin Youkilis had successful surgery to repair the torn right adductor muscle on his right hand. He will miss the remainder of the season.
• Catcher Jason Varitek (broken right foot) began a rehab assignment with Pawtucket on Sunday.
• Right-hander Junichi Tazawa underwent Tommy John surgery in March. He is out for the year.

Rays

• Outfielder Gabe Kapler hopes to return soon from a sprained right ankle.
• Left-hander J.P. Howell had season-ending shoulder surgery May 19.

OUTLOOK

Imagine 30 years from now you are telling your kid's kids about the great Red Sox comeback of 2010. The only way you could ever tell that story is if Boston sweeps this series.