Tim Wakefield

With John Lackey scratched from Tuesday night’s scheduled start and placed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow strain, the second game of the Red Sox-Orioles short two-game series will turn into the latest example of age-old battle between youth and experience. Boston starter Tim Wakefield, who at 44 years young is the oldest active player in Major League Baseball, will try to best Baltimore rookie hurler Zach Britton to give the Sox their fifth win in a row.

This will be the third start of the season for Wakefield (0-1, 5.40 ERA), all of which will have come in the month of May. His first start on May 1 against the Mariners saw the knuckleballer pitch more than admirably as he held Seattle to just four base runners and one run over 5-2/3 innings. However, his next start on May 6 did not nearly go as well. Wakefield, who was pitching on one just day of rest, couldn’t survive the fifth inning and allowed eight runs (six earned) on nine hits and four walks in a 9-2 loss to the Twins. For what it’s worth, Wakefield will be pitching on five-days rest when he takes the mound Tuesday.

In 50 appearances (35 starts) against Baltimore, the knuckleballer is 16-13 with a 4.13 ERA. But against these current set of O’s, he has been quite hit-or-miss. For every Brian Roberts (.170 average in 48 career plate appearances) or Nick Markakis (.185 in 29), there is a Vladimir Guerrero (.480, 5 HR, 9 RBI) or Derrek Lee (.571).

At the other end of the age spectrum, Britton (5-2, 2.42) is an early-season favorite for the American League Rookie of the Year award. The 23-year-old lefty has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his eight starts, including a six-inning, one-run effort against Boston back on April 26 and a complete-game, three-hit performance in his last start against Seattle. Leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury was the only Sox hitter to lace an extra-base hit off Britton in the latter’s only career start against the team.

ORIOLES VS. WAKEFIELD

Brian Roberts (48 career plate appearances): .170 BA/.188 OBP/.213 SLG, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

Vladimir Guerrero (35): .480/.629 OBP/1.120 SLG, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 1 double, 10 walks, 3 strikeouts

Nick Markakis (29): .185/.241/.481, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts

Cesar Izturis (17): .438/.438/.563, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, 2 strikeouts

Adam Jones (14): .231/.286/.231, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Derrek Lee (11): .571/.636/.857, 1 RBI, 2 doubles, 3 walks

Luke Scott (10): .333/.400/.667, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Matt Wieters (5): .000/.200/.000, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

J.J. Hardy (3): .333/.333/.333, 1 RBI

Mark Reynolds is 0-for-2 against the Boston starter while Robert Andino is 0-for-1. Jake Fox and Felix Pie have never faced Wakefield.

RED SOX VS. BRITTON

Carl Crawford (3 career plate appearances): .000 BA/.000 OBP/.000 SLG, 1 strikeout

J.D. Drew (3): .333/.333/.333

Jacoby Ellsbury (3): .333/.333/.333, 1 double

Adrian Gonzalez (3): .000/.000/.000

Jed Lowrie (3): .000/.000/.000

David Ortiz (3): .500/.667/.500, 1 walk

Dustin Pedroia (3): .500/.667/.500, 1 walk

Kevin Youkilis (3): .000/.000/.000, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Jason Varitek (2): .500/.500/.500

Mike Cameron, Darnell McDonald and Jarrod Saltalamacchia have never faced the Baltimore starter.