John Lackey

The Red Sox and Rays wrap up a three-game series Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park in a matchup of two pitchers headed in opposite directions. Boston starter John Lackey is on a month-long tear while Tampa Bay’s David Price is just 2-4 since June 22

Lackey (11-8, 6.13 ERA) has shown significant improvement since a rocky seven-run outing on July 4, winning each of his last six decisions. One of those wins came against the Rays on July 16, when Lackey allowed three runs on 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings. The outing came during Lackey’s best month of the season, as he went 4-1 with a 4.61 ERA in July.

Despite his noteworthy improvement, Lackey has only recorded one quality start in his last four outings — a three-run, six-hit performance against the Yankees on Aug. 6. In his last start, the right-hander gave up four runs on 10 hits to the Mariners in a 6-4 win. Lackey has been a better pitcher away from home this season, as he’s struggled to a 6.38 ERA and allowed opponents to hit .305 with nine home runs at Fenway Park.

As a team, the Rays are hitting .305 against Lackey, with Reid Brignac leading the pack at .429. Johnny Damon leads the team by far with 66 matchups with the Boston starter, hitting .361 with three doubles and five RBIs. B.J. Upton has managed just five hits in 25 plate appearances against Lackey, but one of those hits is a three-run homer. Matthew Joyce is the only other Ray to take Lackey deep.

Price (10-10, 3.76 ERA) was a solid 8-6 entering the month of July, but a sudden drop in run support has withered his record back down to .500. The Rays have lost six of Price’s last eight starts and have scored one run or fewer in four of those losses. Still, Price dominated the Yankees in his last start, as he held New York to one run on six hits over eight innings in a 5-1 win. The 25-year-old struck out four hitters in that outing, but he’s struggled a bit with his command as of late, walking at least two hitters in each of his last four starts. On Aug. 7 against the A’s, he lasted just 4 2/3 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits, including a home run. Price did have seven strikeouts in that start but walked three hitters as well.

As a team, the Red Sox are hitting .226 vs. Price in 148 combined plate appearances. Darnell McDonald has handled Price well, batting .353 with two home runs in 19 matchups. Marco Scutaro has a team-high 23 plate appearances against the Rays starter, but he’s struggled to a .136 average to go along with five strikeouts. The last time Price pitched against Boston, he got the win on July 15 with six innings of three-run, five-hit ball.

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Tim Wakefield

The Red Sox and Mariners will wrap up the season series Sunday night at Safeco Field in a pitching matchup of a Boston veteran and a Seattle rookie. Tim Wakefield will take the mound for the Red Sox, boasting 18 more years of major league experience than his 25-year-old counterpart, Charlie Furbush.

After an 8-6 win over the Twins on August 8, the Red Sox are now 11-4 in games that Wakefield (6-4, 4.92 ERA) starts. The veteran logged his third-straight quality start against Minnesota in his last game, lasting seven innings while allowing three earned runs. Aside from a rough seven-run outing on July 24, Wakefield hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start since July 1 against Houston.

However, that one rough outing came against the Mariners, who amassed 10 hits, including two home runs, against Wakefield at Fenway Park. Still, the Red Sox and Wakefield managed to record a win, as Boston’s offense exploded for 10 runs in the first five innings on its way to a 12-8 victory. Sunday’s outing will be the knuckleballer’s third of the season against the Mariners. In his first start of the year back on May 1, Wakefield allowed one earned run while striking out three hitters and walking one over 5 2/3 innings. The Boston starter hasn’t lost to Seattle since August of 2010.

Wakefield has handled the Mariners well, holding contact hitters like Ichiro Suzuki and Adam Kennedy well below .300 batting averages. Ichiro has managed just 10 hits in 41 plate appearances, while Kennedy is hitting .219 with a double and a home run in 33 plate appearances. Miguel Olivo has posted respectable power numbers against Wakefield, hitting .278 with two home runs and five RBI in 20 career matchups. As a team, the Mariners are hitting .240 in 138 combined plate appearances vs. the right-hander.

Furbush (2-4, 4.46 ERA) spent the first half of the season in the Tigers’ bullpen before being traded to the Mariners on July 30 with Casper Wells for Doug Fister and David Pauley. Furbush has started two games in Seattle with mixed results. On August 3, he pitched five innings of one-run, two-hit ball but was pulled after just 62 pitches. In his last start, the Rangers touched him up for seven runs on eight hits while drawing four walks in four innings.

The southpaw has performed reasonably well in 55 matchups against left-handed hitting, allowing just one home run while striking out 15 and holding opponents to a .273 average. In two appearances at Safeco Field, Furbush is 1-0 with three strikeouts and a 3.00 ERA. The 25-year-old started just two games with Detroit but pitched five shutout innings against the Red Sox on May 27 as a Tiger at Fenway Park. Furbush allowed just two hits while striking out six batters and walking two. The Red Sox had a four-run lead when he came in, and Boston eventually held on for a 6-3 win.

Josh Reddick and Adrian Gonzalez were the only two Red Sox hitters to solve Furbush in that game, as both hitters went 1-for-2 against the left-hander. However, both Reddick and Gonzalez struck out in their other plate appearances. Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia all went o-for-2 against Furbush.

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Terry Francona

Red Sox manager Terry Francona joined The Big Show Wednesday afternoon to discuss the state of the Sox, including Erik Bedard‘s latest outing, David Ortiz‘ contract dispute and Tuesday night’s comeback win.

Bedard battled with a tight strike zone in Minnesota through five innings of two-run, three-hit ball, and he impressed Francona with the way he overcame a few questionable calls.

“I thought he showed a lot of poise,” Francona said. “I thought after that first inning he really dialed it in and I thought after the fifth inning, I thought he could have kept pitching as far as the way he looked. I don’t think it would have been smart to leave him out there because we’re still building him up. But he got into a rhythm, he held his velocity, he can spin a breaking ball any time he wants. And I’m telling you, it’s exciting. He’s got a good changeup that he used to throw more, and he actually threw it to the lefty, the last hitter that he faced, and I hope he starts throwing it a little bit more because it’s really a good pitch, too.

“During the game, we want every call. So does the other team. There’s not too often during the game where one of the two teams isn’t yelling at the umpire. Whether they were strikes or not, for the amount of pitches he threw that inning and for the amount of walks he had and baserunners, he actually didn’t command that bad. And then there were some pitches, the 3-2 pitch, man it looked like he hit his spot perfect. Those things happen. Tim McClelland is a really good umpire. You don’t see guys complain too often when he’s behind the plate. The only thing they complain about is he’s slow on his call, so we never know when it’s a strike or a ball, but he’s got one of the best reputations in the league. Saying that, sometimes guys miss calls, sometimes it’s easier to miss calls when a guy’s maybe not hitting his spots as well as he should. There’s a lot that goes into it.”

Following is a transcript of the interview. To hear the conversation, check out the The Big Show audio on demand page.

Because [Dustin] Pedroia is spunky, because he does all of these things, it almost hurts his image as how good of a baseball player he is. You probably see him a lot differently than most people.

I’m probably supposed to. I’m supposed to be biased with all of our guys, and I am. But no, I think I might disagree. I think if you asked the players around the league, especially the players, I think you’re going to find how much respect they have for him, the way he plays the game and how good he actually is. A couple of years ago when he played in the World Baseball Classic, I was telling [Derek] Jeter before he met him, I said, “You’re going to love this guy, you guys are going to be inseparable.” And when it was over he was like, “You were right, I couldn’t get enough of him.” And that’s how guys feel when they’re around him.

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Jon Lester

The Red Sox will wrap up a three-game set with the Twins Wednesday night at Target Field before heading west to Seattle for a chance to pad their division lead. Jon Lester will take the mound for the Red Sox after a tough-luck loss against the Yankees last Saturday, while the Twins counter with Nick Blackburn, who hasn’t had a quality start since July 20.

Lester (11-5, 3.23 ERA), pitched his second straight quality start in his last outing against the Yankees, but his six innings of three-run, five-hit ball weren’t enough as the Red Sox only put two runs across in a 3-2 loss. Still, Lester has been solid since his return from the disabled list, posting a 2.82 ERA over his last three starts. The two home runs he gave up to the White Sox on July 30 could be a cause for concern, but the two solo shots were the only runs Lester allowed in a convincing eight-inning performance that included eight strikeouts and just one walk.

Lester hasn’t faced the Twins since last May, when he went the distance for a complete game victory, allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out nine and walking none. However, Lester struggled the last time he pitched at Target Field, lasting five innings after giving up four runs on nine hits in a 5-2 loss in April of 2010.

Very few Twins have had consistent success against Lester in their 90 combined plate appearances, with Denard Span leading the way. In 13 matchups, Span is hitting .333 with two RBIs and has drawn three walks. Delmon Young has a team-high 27 plate appearances vs. Lester but a team-low .174 batting average, including seven strikeouts. Jason Kubel has struggled as well, going just 2-for-11 with a walk and an RBI.

Blackburn (7-9, 4.58 ERA) has seen his record drop below .500 after taking three losses in his last three starts, including a 20-6 loss to the Rangers on July 25. Blackburn lasted just 2 2/3 innings in that outing, allowing nine runs (six earned) on 11 hits and two home runs. It was the low point of an abysmal July in which the right-hander went 1-2 with a 7.45 ERA.

Blackburn was staked to an early two-run lead in his last start, but he gave up four runs on seven hits, including two home runs, as the Twins fell to the White Sox, 5-3. Blackburn walked six hitters in that game, and has walked 11 in his last 9 2/3 innings. Despite his recent struggles, the Twins starter pitched well in a losing effort against the Red Sox back on May 9 at Fenway Park. Boston managed just one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, eventually winning in the 11th on a Carl Crawford walk-off double.

Blackburn has allowed 19 home runs this season, the sixth most in the American League, but he’s never given up a long ball to a Red Sox hitter in 90 career matchups. In his team-high 15 plate appearances vs. Blackburn, Dustin Pedroia is hitting .308 with a double and an RBI, while Kevin Youkilis is at .333 with a triple and an RBI in 13 matchups. Carl Crawford has struggled the most against Blackburn, going just 1-11 with three walks and three strikeouts.

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Tim Wakefield

The Red Sox and Twins start up a three-game series Monday night at Target Field in a rematch of the May 6 pitching matchup between Tim Wakefied and Scott Baker. The Twins ace had the upper hand in that Fenway showdown, as the Red Sox managed just two runs over eight innings in a 9-2 loss.

Wakefield (6-4, 4.99 ERA) will look to register his third straight quality start, after holding the Indians and White Sox to three runs each over six-plus innings. The Red Sox have won five of Wakefield’s last six starts, but he’s needed a great deal of run support to pull off the victories. In the right-hander’s last six outings, the Sox have averaged over seven runs per game. The 45-year-old struggled against the Twins earlier this season, allowing eight runs on nine hits while recording just 13 outs.

Wakefield, who is one win away from career win No. 200, hasn’t pitched at Target Field since last season, when he struggled through 5 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits in a losing effort. Coupled with his loss against the Twins earlier this year, Wakefield has not beaten Minnesota since May of 2009.

As a team, the Twins are hitting .253 with eight home runs in 171 combined plate appearances against Wakefield. Jim Thome accounts for 70 of those matchups, but he’s only managed 11 hits, including three doubles and four home runs. Joe Mauer has handled the knuckleballer well, hitting .357 in 16 plate appearances to go along with a home run and three RBIs. Denard Span is 4-for-10 with three doubles and four RBIs.

Baker (8-6, 3.01 ERA) leads Minnesota’s struggling pitching staff in wins, ERA and strikeouts (115), although his last start was one of his worst of the season. On Wednesday against the Angels, Baker lasted just three innings while allowing four runs on five hits, including a home run. Still, the Twins managed an 11-4 victory, marking their fifth win in Baker’s last four starts.

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Erik Bedard

The Red Sox and Indians will play their season series finale Thursday night in a pitching matchup between a former Red Sox hurler and a brand new Boston trade acquisition. Erik Bedard will make his Red Sox debut in Fenway Park, a venue that hasn’t treated him well in the past. As for Masterson, he returns to Boston for just the second time since being traded for Victor Martinez in 2009.

Bedard (4-7, 3.45 ERA) will be making just his second start since June after missing most of last month with a knee sprain. The 32-year-old left Seattle on a bad note, recording just four outs in his last start with the Mariners. He gave up five runs on three hits and walked four in an 8-0 loss to the Rays.

Despite that lackluster performance, Bedard has posted a solid ERA after a rocky start to the season. He lost his first four starts of the year to go along with a 7.71 ERA, but recovered well with a 1.39 ERA in May, and a 2.25 ERA in June. However, because the Mariners rank 30th in batting average, on-base percentage and runs scored, he has very few wins to show for it.

It’s no secret Bedard has struggled as a visitor in Fenway Park. He has a 6.99 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and allowed the Red Sox to hit .270 in six career starts. Of course, he no longer has to face the top-ranked offense in the majors, and will face an Indians lineup that ranks 15th in runs scored and 22nd in batting average.

Back on April 10, Bedard lasted only four innings against the Indians while giving up six runs on 10 hits, including two homers. In 45 combined plate appearances, Cleveland’s lineup has hit .324 off Bedard with two home runs and four RBIs. Travis Hafner is 4-for-14 in his team-high 19 matchups, including five walks and seven strikeouts. Asdrubal Cabrera is 3-for-6 in eight plate appearances with a home run and two RBIs.

Masterson (8-7, 2.56 ERA) has developed into one of the Indians’ top starters, leading the pitching staff in ERA and strikeouts (112). The right-hander won his first five starts of the season but has gone 3-7 since, despite keeping his ERA below 3.20 throughout the year. In Masterson’s last six losses, the Indians scored just four total runs (0.67 runs per game).

The 26-year-old is coming off one of the best months of his career, going 3-1 with a 1.58 ERA in seven July starts. In 45 2/3 innings, Masterson surrendered 32 hits and eight earned runs while striking out 37 hitters and walking seven. He’s only been taken deep four times this season, and just once since May 30. In his last outing, Masterson pitched through the eighth inning, allowing two runs on nine hits in a 5-2 win over the Royals. Back on May 23, Masterson held the Red Sox to two runs over seven 2/3 innings to lead the Indians to a 3-2 victory.

The Red Sox have compiled 82 plate appearances against Masterson, with Carl Crawford leading the way from his days in Tampa Bay. In 16 career plate appearances, Crawford is hitting .385 with a double, two home runs and four RBIs. Marco Scutaro, on the other hand, has struggled in 13 matchups, managing just one hit and one walk. Newly acquired Mike Aviles has hit .333 in 12 plate appearances vs. Masterson, including an RBI double and three strikeouts.

Indians vs. Bedard

Travis Hafner (19 plate appearances): .286 BA/.474 OBP/.286 SLG, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts

Asdrubal Cabrera (8): 3-for-6, 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Jack Hannahan (5): 3-for-5, 1 home run, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Michael Brantley (3): 1-for-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 strikeout

Austin Kearns (3): 0-for-3, 1 strikeout

Carlos Santana (3): 0-for-3, 1 strikeout

Matt LaPorta (2): 0-for-2, 1 strikeout

Lou Marson (2): 1-for-1, 1 double, 1 walk

Red Sox vs. Masterson

Carl Crawford (16 plate appearances): .385 BA/.438 OBP/.923 SLG, 2 home runs, 1 double, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

Marco Scutaro (13): .083/.154/.083, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Mike Aviles (12): .333/.333/.417, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 strikeouts

David Ortiz (9): 2-for-9, 1 home run, 1 RBI, 3 strikeouts

Dustin Pedroia (8): 1-for-7, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Jacoby Ellsbury (7): 0-for-6

Kevin Youkilis (6): 0-for-3, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (5): 1-for-5, 1 double, 1 strikeout

Adrian Gonzalez (3): 0-for-2, 1 walk

Josh Reddick (3): 0-for-3, 1 strikeout

Tim Wakefield

The Red Sox and Indians will square off for the third game of a four-game series at Fenway Park Wednesday night, as Boston looks to build its lead in the American League East before a highly anticipated weekend set with the Yankees. We’re several days into August, and no two pitchers are more excited to be rid of July than Wednesday’s starters, Tim Wakefield and Carlos Carrasco.

The Red Sox won four of the five games Wakefield (6-4, 5.06 ERA) started last month, but the veteran right-hander struggled to a 6.23 ERA in July, his worst monthly total of the season. In 30 1/3 innings, he gave up 25 runs, 42 hits, five homers and six walks while striking out 19.

Wakefield took a tough-luck loss in his last outing, tossing seven innings of three-run, three-hit ball against the White Sox on July 29. The 3-1 defeat may have been karmic retribution for his outing on July 24, when Wakefield gave up seven runs and 10 hits but got the win as Boston erupted for 12 runs against the Mariners. The knuckleballer had a better June ERA (5.01), but the Red Sox went just 2-3 in his five starts.

Although Wakefield has been in the league since 1992, he has limited experience against a relatively young Indians lineup. Still, he’s shut down the only two hitters he’s faced more than 10 times. Travis Hafner has just one hit in 18 plate appearances and has struck out six times. Asdrubal Cabrera is 2-for-12 with two RBIs and three strikeouts. Matt LaPorta has had the most success against Wakefield. In five plate appearances, he’s 2-for-4 with a home run.

Carrasco (8-9, 4.67 ERA) will also be happy to put July in his rearview mirror, as he had one of the worst months in the major leagues. In five starts, the right-hander went 0-5 with a 9.13 ERA, capped off by a three-inning, seven-run outing against the Royals last Friday. During that game, Carrasco threw at the head of Billy Butler and was suspended for six games. He appealed the decision, allowing him to make the start Wednesday.

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