Boston (66-49) at Chi White Sox (63-51)

TV: NESN | Radio: WRKO 680, SBN 1150 8:11 pm ET U.S. Cellular Field TV: CSN | Radio: WSCR 670, WRTO 1200
bos

Red Sox, White Sox meet for first time

Ian Browne / MLB.com
Of all the American League contenders, none has been kept below the radar as much as the Chicago White Sox, the team the Red Sox will visit for a four-game series that starts on Friday night.
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Red Sox probable pitcher

Jon Lester

  • #31 LHP
  • (10-3) 3.14 ERA 101 SO
The lefty continues to pitch like an ace. In his last start, he allowed two runs over seven innings in a win over the A's. Lester has gone seven innings or more in his last five starts, and eight of his last nine. He is 6-0 with a 2.67 ERA over that span. This will be Lester's second career start at U.S. Cellular Field. The first one came in 2006, when he picked up a win by allowing two runs over six innings.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 21-5 3.90 290.2 120 211 .270
Season 10-3 3.14 146.1 46 101 .263
August 1-0 2.57 7.0 1 5 .269

Series at a Glance

Standings - 08/08/2008 W L PCT GB Home Away
Boston Red Sox (AL East) 66 49 .574 2.5 40-16 26-33
Chicago White Sox (AL Central) 63 51 .553 - 37-18 26-33
Stats - 08/08/2008 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
BOS .279 576 122 546 85 747 3.77 1023.2 945 408 840
CWS .266 571 160 557 50 727 3.93 1020.2 1017 323 802
cws

Guillen wants White Sox to step up

David Just / MLB.com
With several White Sox on the DL, the plan vs. the Red Sox this weekend is for every remaining player to step up his game. Friday's opener starts at 7:11 p.m. CT.
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White Sox probable pitcher

Mark Buehrle

  • #56 LHP
  • (8-10) 4.07 ERA 84 SO
Buehrle would like to forget his Saturday start against the Royals. In what was arguably his worst start of the season, Buehrle allowed eight runs and surrendered 14 hits in 4 1/3 innings. He gave up two home runs and struck out only one batter. Buehrle succeeds by letting hitters put the ball in play and giving his defense the work, but he gave up 10 line drives to Royals hitting, a total from which even he cannot recover. Buehrle has yet to face Boston this season, but is 4-4 with a 4.46 ERA against the Red Sox lifetime.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 115-85 3.82 1777.1 408 1027 .269
Season 8-10 4.07 148.1 35 84 .283
August 0-1 16.62 4.1 0 1 .560

Red Sox hitters vs Mark Buehrle

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Anderson, Brian - - - - - - - -
Bates, Aaron - - - - - - - -
Brown, Dusty - - - - - - - -
Drew, J.D. - - - - .100 10 0 1
Ellsbury, Jacoby - - - - .667 3 0 0
Hermida, Jeremy - - - - - - - -
Iglesias, Jose - - - - - - - -
Kotchman, Casey - - - - - - - -
Lowell, Mike - - - - .222 9 0 2
Lowrie, Jed - - - - .200 5 0 1
Martinez, Victor .333 6 0 1 .320 50 2 8
Ortiz, David - - - - .273 33 2 7
Pedroia, Dustin - - - - .400 10 0 0
Reddick, Josh - - - - - - - -
Varitek, Jason - - - - .357 28 2 4
Wagner, Mark - - - - - - - -
Youkilis, Kevin - - - - .222 9 0 2

White Sox hitters vs Jon Lester

  2008 2003-2007
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Armstrong, Cole - - - - - - - -
Beckham, Gordon - - - - - - - -
De Aza, Alejandro - - - - - - - -
Flowers, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Gartrell, Stefan - - - - - - - -
Konerko, Paul - - - - .200 5 0 0
Kotsay, Mark - - - - 1.000 2 0 0
Lillibridge, Brent - - - - .333 3 0 0
Nix, Jayson - - - - - - - -
Pierzynski, A.J. - - - - .333 3 0 1
Quentin, Carlos - - - - .000 1 0 0
Ramirez, Alexei - - - - .333 3 0 0
Rios, Alex .000 3 0 0 .357 14 0 3
Teahen, Mark .000 3 0 0 .143 7 0 0
Viciedo, Dayan - - - - - - - -

Buehrle uses White out on Red Sox (66-50) (64-50)

White Sox 5, Red Sox 3

Rare Lester loss

Ian Browne / MLB.com
Boston made it interesting after Dustin Pedroia hit a three-run blast in the eighth inning, but a botched rundown play and a Carlos Quentin homer snuffed out the Red Sox's chances for a comeback win. The series-opening loss was also Jon Lester's first one since May 25.

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Series at a Glance

 
Mark Buehrle barely broke a sweat against the Red Sox. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

Mark of a winner

Scott Merkin / MLB.com
Mark Buehrle was on cruise control from the get-go, confounding the Red Sox over seven-plus innings while more importantly keeping the White Sox in first place in the AL Central. Orlando Cabrera and A.J. Pierzynski drove in two runs apiece, and Carlos Quentin blasted his 31st homer.
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White Sox 5, Red Sox 3

BostonABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Drew, RF3100111.283
Pedroia, 2B4113000.315
Ortiz, DH3000120.249
Youkilis, 1B3000121.314
Lowell, 3B4000011.270
Bay, LF4010020.291
Lowrie, SS3010001.288
Varitek, C3110101.221
Crisp, CF3010003.251
  a-Casey, PH1000001.352
Totals31353489 

a-Grounded out for Crisp in the 9th.

BATTING
2B: Crisp (14, Buehrle).
HR: Pedroia (10, 8th inning off Dotel, 2 on, 1 out).
TB: Pedroia 4; Bay; Lowrie; Varitek; Crisp 2.
RBI: Pedroia 3 (52).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Drew; Crisp; Casey.
GIDP: Lowrie.
Team LOB: 6.

FIELDING
Outfield assists: Drew (Pierzynski at 2nd base).
Pickoffs: Lester (Uribe at 1st base).
 
Chi White SoxABRHRBIBBSOLOBAVG
Cabrera, SS3122100.267
Pierzynski, C3011001.288
Quentin, LF2111101.289
Dye, RF4000023.301
Griffey Jr., DH4000000.243
Konerko, 1B4000020.218
  Anderson, B, CF0000000.238
Swisher, CF-1B2100100.231
Ramirez, 2B3110000.310
Uribe, 3B2120000.230
Totals27574345 

BATTING
2B: Cabrera (21, Lester).
HR: Quentin (31, 8th inning off Delcarmen, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Cabrera 3; Pierzynski; Quentin 4; Ramirez; Uribe 2.
RBI: Pierzynski (45), Cabrera 2 (46), Quentin (88).
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Quentin; Dye.
S: Uribe.
SF: Pierzynski.
Team LOB: 4.

BASERUNNING
CS: Uribe (1, 2nd base by Lester/Varitek).
PO: Uribe (1st base by Lester).

FIELDING
DP: (Cabrera-Ramirez-Konerko).
 
BostonIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Lester (L, 10-4)7.06443203.23
Delcarmen 1.01110214.07
 
Chi White SoxIPHRERBBSOHRERA
Buehrle (W, 9-10)7.04112803.94
Dotel 0.11221013.35
Thornton (H, 11)0.10000002.87
Carrasco (H, 4)0.10001002.60
Jenks (S, 23)1.00000001.96

Buehrle pitched to 1 batter in the 8th.

HBP: Quentin (by Lester), Lowrie (by Jenks).
Pitches-strikes: Lester 95-56, Delcarmen 15-9, Buehrle 110-65, Dotel 15-8, Thornton 3-2, Carrasco 9-2, Jenks 13-6.
Groundouts-flyouts: Lester 9-8, Delcarmen 0-1, Buehrle 10-3, Dotel 0-1, Thornton 1-0, Carrasco 0-1, Jenks 1-2.
Batters faced: Lester 29, Delcarmen 4, Buehrle 26, Dotel 3, Thornton 1, Carrasco 2, Jenks 4.
Inherited runners-scored: Dotel 1-1.
Umpires: HP: Mark Wegner. 1B: Jeff Kellogg. 2B: Sam Holbrook. 3B: Chad Fairchild.
Weather: 72 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 7 mph, L to R.
T: 2:27.
Att: 38,621.
August 8, 2008

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner