Preview: Red Sox Taking on the Rays for Two

8/4 7:08PM on NESN Lester (9-7 3.90 ERA) vs. Garza (7-8 3.69 ERA)
8/5 7:08PM on NESN Penny (7-5 5.07 ERA) vs. Price (4-4 5.10 ERA)

Our two-game tune-up for the four game brawl in the Bronx.

Tuesday

A great pitching match-up on Tuesday night between two strikeout pitchers (Lester 131 IP, 148 Ks and Garza 136.2 IP and 121 Ks). Lester was a bit rocky last time out giving up 4 runs in 5 2/3 IP against Oakland, so he will be looking to rebound. Garza was a bit more impressive his last time out against the Yanks giving up three runs in 7 innings in a losing effort.

I hate facing Garza, not only does he look like a snake but he killed us last year in the ALCS. Hopefully Lester can shut them down, and V-Mart can keep the hitting parade going.

Wednesday

Price's ERA of 5.10 doesn't look too good, but he's either on or he's not. In three of his last six starts he's given up only 1 ER, but he's been rocked in the others. We all know the story with Penny by now, he throws hard but is still having a tough time getting by with that in the AL. With continued rocky starts by Smoltz and Buchholz, Penny really needs to step up.

Although the lefty Price doesn't kill lefties, look for Francona to employ a right-handed heavy lineup with Ortiz out of it. That would allow Lowell and Youk (righties)and V-Mart and Varitek (switch) to get into the lineup. Francona will need to pick his spots going forward to manage the logjam. While Lowell and Varitek look to be the losers most often, Tito will need to find ways to sit other players somehow and not just at the expense of those two. However, maybe Francona will wait to employ the right-handed heavy lineup against CC and the Yanks Saturday on Fox.

This series is just as important as the Yankees one, so hopefully the Sox aren't looking too far ahead.