Felix Doubront

Having dropped six of their last eight after Wednesday’s 10-9 loss to Texas, the Red Sox hit the road in desperate need of a turnaround. Boston kicks off a crucial 10-game road trip with the first of four against the Indians Thursday night. Felix Doubront gets the start.

At 10-5 in 21 starts, Doubront has been Boston’s most reliable starter this season but has struggled of late. The 24-year-old has given up at least five runs and failed to last more than five innings in two of his last three starts, raising his ERA to a season-high 4.56.

Cleveland, however, might be just what the doctor ordered. The Indians are a major league-worst 11-24 against lefty starters this year and Doubront is no exception. The lefty has faced Cleveland just once in his young career, that coming back on May 12 in Boston, when he held the Tribe to just one run on three hits en route to a 4-1 Sox win.

With just 24 plate appearances against Doubront, the current Indians lineup is hitting a combined .136, with no home runs and a single RBI.

Taking the mound opposite Doubront will be Ubaldo Jimenez (8-11). The 28-year-old has struggled this year, posting a 5.29 ERA, more than a full run higher than his career mark of 3.95.

Jimenez has pitched even worse of late, as the righty is 0-4 with an 8.42 ERA in his last five starts and hasn’t won since before the All-Star break, when he beat the Rays on July 7.

In his last outing against Boston, Jimenez allowed seven runs and walked five in just 4 1/3 innings at Fenway on May 11. In his only other start against the Sox, the former All-Star gave up six runs in 5 2/3 innings June 23, 2010, while pitching for Colorado.

The current Sox lineup however, is hitting just .208 in 53 at-bats against Jimenez, but boasts a much more respectable .354 on-base-percentage.

Red Sox vs. Jimenez (RHP)

Adrian Gonzalez (35 plate appearances): .185 BA/.371 OBP/.444 SLG, 1 double, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 7 walks, 11 strikeouts

Cody Ross (9): .200/.556/.400, 1 double, 1 RBI, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts

Dustin Pedroia (6): .500/.500/.667, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 2 strikeouts

Nick Punto (5): .200/.200/.200, 3 strikeouts

Carl Crawford (4): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Will Middlebrooks (3): .333/.333/.667, 1 double, 2 RBIs

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (3): .000/.000/.000

Indians vs. Doubront (LHP)

Jason Kipnis (3 plate appearances): 333 BA/.333 OBP/.333 SLG, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Travis Hafner (2): .500/.500/.500

Lou Marson (2): 1.000/.1000/2.000, 1 double, 1 walk

Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana are 0-for-3. Shin-Soo Choo, Jack Hannahan, and Casey Kotchman are 0-for-2. Shelley Duncan is 0-for-1 with a walk.