Rays at Red Sox
When/where: 1:05 and 7:10 today; Fenway Park, Boston
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Starting pitchers:
Game 1
Rays: RH James Shields (11-9, 2.80)
RED SOX: LH Jon Lester (11-6, 3.32)
Game 2
Rays: RH Jeff Niemann (7-4, 3.43)
red sox: LH Erik Bedard (4-7, 3.55)
Watch for …
Rolling Rays: Shields is coming off two strong outings, logging his eighth complete game and owning a 131/3-inning scoreless streak. Niemann is 6-0, 2.17 in nine starts since coming off the DL. Shields is 6-10, 4.95 vs. Boston, Niemann 2-2, 4.56.
Leaning left: Lester has lost his past two and walked a season-high five Aug. 10 at Minnesota. Bedard, acquired from Seattle after facing the Rays, has two five-inning no-decisions with Boston. Lester is 9-4, 3.82 vs. the Rays, Bedard 11-4, 3.41.
Key matchups
Rays vs. lester
Johnny Damon 8-for-27, 2 HRs
Evan Longoria 9-for-36, 2 HRs
B.J. Upton 9-for-48, 3 HRs
red sox vs. shields
Adrian Gonzalez 5-for-9, HR
David Ortiz 13-for-39, 3 HRs
Dustin Pedroia 13-for-37, 2 HRs
Rays vs. bedard
Johnny Damon 5-for-25
Kelly Shoppach 3-for-10, HR
B.J. Upton 5-for-27, HR
red sox vs. niemann
David Ortiz 2-for-9, HR
Marco Scutaro 3-for-18
Kevin Youkilis 0-for-8
On deck
Wednesday: at Red Sox, 1:35, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (10-10, 3.76); Red Sox — John Lackey (11-8, 6.13)
Thursday: Off
Friday: vs. Mariners, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Wade Davis (8-7, 4.60); M's — Felix Hernandez (11-10, 3.38)
Saturday: vs. Mariners, 7:10, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.22); M's — Charlie Furbush (2-1, 4.76)
Marc Topkin, Times staff writer
Slam of the day
Los Angeles Times baseball writer Kevin Baxter ranked the best and worst fan bases, and guess who came out at the bottom: Rays fans. Wrote Baxter (kevin.baxter@latimes.com): "Management gave away tickets to draw respectable crowds during a pennant race last fall. The Rays are good and exciting, but few in Tampa Bay care." He has the Indians 28th and Marlins 29th.
Doubleheader numbers of the day
18 DHs in Rays history.
2-8-7 Rays record in all DHs.
1-6-4 Rays record in split (day-night) DHs.
0-2-2 Rays record in DHs at Boston.
28 Hours in which the three games will be played.
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