Game Preview: Sox @ Rays GM2

Lester (1-0, 5.14) vs. Sonnanstine (2-8, 6.15)
Tropicana Field 710

Now that the Wakefield hysteria has died down the Sox will try and win a game at Tampa Bay without the services of the Rays killer on the mound.

This time it will be up to young Jon Lester to keep the good times rollin and help Boston establish a little winning streak and hopefully gain some ground over the Stanks as they play the Angels at home, like they did last night.

The task won't be as easy tonight as throwing Wake on the mound and waiting for the easy "W"; last week struggling Rays rookie Andy Sonnanstine spun a gem at Fenway, taking a shutout into the 7th inning before tiring and leaving with 6 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 3 runs in a 6-5 Tampa Bay win.

The righty outpitched Daisuke Matsuzaka in that contest, so there's no reason to believe he can't hold his own against fellow rookie Lester.

Since his return from cancer treatments in late July, the 23-year-old lefty has been erratic at best, but did settle down to pitch 7 innings of 2-hit, 1-run ball in a 2-1 win against these Rays last week.

All we need is for Lester to duplicate that performance and then have Sonnanstine revert back to his 1-8, 6.35 ERA self like he was before that come-from-nowhere performance against Boston.

And if things don't work out like that we'll have to see what Tito can do about getting Wake to pitch again in the series finale tomorrow.