Felix Doubront

The Red Sox will send left-hander Felix Doubront to the hill Friday night in search of evening their series with the Twins and ending their two-game losing streak at Fenway Park.

With now exactly two months to go in the regular season, the Red Sox have a .500 record, and while winning the AL East seems like a long shot, they still are just four games out of taking one of the two Wild Card spots. In order to accomplish that, they’ll need consistent pitching, and Doubront has been the most consistent one this season.

Doubront enters Friday’s contest as the team leader in wins (10), strikeouts (113) and ERA (4.37). If the Red Sox are to get back over .500 on Friday night, Doubront is the man for job. In five career starts against the AL Central, the lefty is 5-0 with a 2.97 ERA, though he has never faced the Twins in his three-year career.

Doubront is fresh off of a solid outing against the Yankees last Sunday. Though he gave up a season-high five walks and earned a no-decision, he pitched well enough to win, going 6 1/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out eight as the Sox beat the Yankees, 3-2, in 10 innings. It was his team-leading 11th quality start of the season.

Starting opposite Doubront for the Twins will be Brian Duensing. Mostly a relief pitcher this season, Duensing started on July 29 with less than 24 hours notice after the Twins traded Francisco Liriano. Duensing pitched well despite the circumstances, as he tossed six innings, yielding a run on five hits as he picked up the victory against the Indians.

Duensing is 2-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 59 2/3 innings this season. The 29-year-old lefty has played against the Red Sox four times in his career, amassing an 0-1 record, 3.60 ERA and six strikeouts in five innings.

Twins vs. Doubront (LHP)

Jamey Carroll (2 plate appearances): .000 BA/.000 OBP/.000 SLG

Red Sox vs. Duensing (LHP)

Mike Aviles (17 plate appearances): .286 BA/.294 OBP/.286 SLG, 2 RBIs, 1 walk

Kelly Shoppach (10): .000/.200/.000, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Carl Crawford (6): .000/.167/.000, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Cody Ross (3): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Jacoby Ellsbury (2): .500/.500/1.000, 1 double

Adrian Gonzalez (2): .000/.000/.000

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2): .500/.500/.500,

Dustin Pedroia has one walk in one plate appearance against Duensing.