Felix Doubront

The Red Sox will look to get back-to-back solid starting pitching performances as they send out Felix Doubront for the second game of their final series in Tampa Bay this season.

Doubront (10-9, 5.11 ERA) had a strong showing last time out against the Yankees, giving up two runs over 6 1/3 innings. More importantly, the outing ended a rough stretch for Doubront, who had given up four or more runs and pitched five innings or fewer in five consecutive starts, and continued his success this season against New York.

The last time Doubront faced the Rays was back in May, when Doubront had been instrumental in holding the starting rotation together. In 5 2/3 innings, Doubront surrendered one earned run while striking out seven. The performance was a major improvement in comparison to his first start against the Rays this season, when Doubront lasted five innings but gave up four runs in his one poor performance in April.

Over his career, Doubront has had moderate success against Tampa Bay, going 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in six appearances, including three starts. However, the members of the Rays that Doubront will see on Tuesday have done a good job of knocking him around in the past, hitting .338 against him with a 1.019 OPS. While Doubront’s history is limited to any individual Rays player, he has been knocked around in small sample sizes against a large portion of the team’s lineup. Meanwhile, the two players Doubront has faced the most, Ben Zobrist and Carlos Pena, are batting a combined .176 against him with nine strikeouts in 19 plate appearances.

Making the start opposite Doubront will be the Rays starter with the second-best ERA in the rotation, Jeremy Hellickson. Trailing only Cy Young candidate David Price in terms of runs allowed, the 25-year-old Hellickson (8-10, 3.22 ERA) has become yet another young pillar of a Tampa Bay rotation that continues to reload itself with talent.

Hellickson comes into Tuesday’s game in the wake of two lights-out performances this month. Against the Rangers and Orioles, Hellickson pitched a combined 11 innings and gave up one run. This followed an August that turned out to produce the second-highest ERA (3.97) of any month this season.

The Red Sox haven’t seen Hellickson since July 13, when he threw the second-most pitches has has all season (113) and gave up three runs over six innings of work and took the loss in a 3-1 Red Sox win. The serviceable start was a marked improvement upon his first outing against the Red Sox in his second start, in which he gave up five runs in five innings.

In his career, Hellickson has posted a 3-2 record with a 4.29 ERA, his second-worst mark against an AL team. Against the lineup he will see on Tuesday, Hellickson posted solid numbers, limiting the group to a .247 batting average with a .707 OPS against him.

Red Sox vs. Hellickson (RHP)

Dustin Pedroia (22 plate appearances): .250 BA/.318 OBP/.500 SLG, 1 triple, 1 home run, 2 doubles, 3 strikeouts

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (19): .313/.421/.625, 2 doubles, 1 home run, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts

Jacoby Ellsbury (15): .143/.200/.143, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Mike Aviles (12): .200/.273/.300, 1 double

Daniel Nava (8): .143/.250/.143, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Cody Ross (6): .000/.167/.000, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Pedro Ciriaco (3): 1.000/1.000/1.000, 2 RBIs

Mauro Gomez (3): .000/.000/.000, 2 strikeouts

Scott Podsednik (3): .667/.667/.667

Rays vs. Doubront (LHP)

Ben Zobrist (10 plate appearances): .222 BA/.300 OBP/.222 SLG, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Carlons Pena (9): .125/.222/.250, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

Sean Rodriguez (8): .375/.375/.625, 1 triple

B.J. Upton (8): .333/.429/.500, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Evan Longoria (7): .500/.714/1.000, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 3 walks

Luke Scott (7): .333/.429/1.333, 2 home runs, 2 RBIs, 1 strikeout

Jeff Keppinger (6): .600/.667/.800, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 walk

Chris Giminez (5): .200/.200/.200

Desmond Jennings (4): .500/.500/.750, 1 double, 1 strikeout

Ben Francisco (3): .667/.667/1.333, 2 doubles

Elliot Johnson (3): .000/.333/.000, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Matthew Joyce (3): .500/.667/.500, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Rich Thompson (3): .333/.333/.333, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Jose Molina has walked in one appearance against Doubront.