The Boston Red Sox are off to their worst home start in 78 years. They'll try to turn things around in tonight's opener of a three- game series against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. Boston has lost five straight overall and was dismantled over the weekend by the Tampa Bay Rays, who completed a four-game sweep on Monday by routing the Red Sox, 8-1. Since beating the New York Yankees on Opening Night, the Red Sox have lost six straight at Fenway, marking their longest drought there since a 12-game slide in June of 1994. Also, at 1-6, Boston is off to its worst home start since beginning the 1932 campaign 1-9. "Our concern is playing better. When we do that, we'll all feel better about ourselves," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "You can look at it any way you want - early, late, middle, divisions - we just need to play better baseball."
The Red Sox were outscored 24-8 in the series with the Rays and are 0-for-30 with runners in scoring position over their last five games. At 4-9, Boston is off to its worst 13-game start since they were 2-11 in 1996.
To make matters worse, outfielder Mike Cameron has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because an abdominal tear near the attachment site of the abdominal muscle and the pelvis. Also, Jacoby Ellsbury is still out with a bruised left rib cage and could be headed for the disabled list. As bad as the offense has been, the starting pitching has been even worse. During the five-game slide, Boston's rotation is 0-4 with a 6.75 earned run average.
Hoping to reverse that trend tonight will be veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who will be trying to bounce back from a poor showing his last time out. Wakefield was charged with the loss Thursday against Minnesota, who ripped him for six runs (5 earned) and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Wakefield has faced the Rangers 33 times (26 starts) and is 10-15 with a 5.98 ERA against them. Texas, meanwhile, also enters this set on the heels of getting swept, as the Rangers dropped all three games of their series to the New York Yankees and come into tonight's contest having dropped four straight.
"We've got to go to Boston and get back to work," said Rangers third baseman Michael Young. "We play another good team and it should be another challenge."
Texas pitching surrendered just 27 runs through its first nine games, but was outscored 17-6 by the Yankees over the weekend.
One Rangers pitcher who wasn't battered this weekend was righty Colby Lewis, who has made a terrific transition from Japan back to the majors. The right- hander has won his first two starts while pitching to a 2.19 ERA.
Lewis' last win came in Cleveland on Wednesday, when he allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He will be making his second-ever start against the Red Sox, but has faced them five times without recording a decision and pitching to a 1.93 ERA.
Boston may find it difficult to get off the schneid this evening, as it dropped seven of its nine meetings to the Rangers last season, including two of the three meetings at Fenway.
stake: 9/10
picks: 1
odds: 1.77
bookmaker: interwetten
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