Game Preview: Sox @ Rays GM2

Buchholz (1-1, 4.79) vs. Jackson (2-2, 4.63)
Game 2 of 3 7:05 Tropicana Field

If the Sox are going to get back on the winning track, they will have to do so without the services of two of their best hitters tonight.

The Globe is reporting that David Ortiz was a late scratch from tonight's lineup, with the possible reasons ranging from a mild cold he's been battling, to his sore, surgically repaired right knee, to his 0-6 performance in last night's 5-4 extra inning loss.

Although the o-fer dropped Papi's average to .177, his RBI production (17 ribbies in the last 10 games) has made his presence in the lineup invaluable the past few weeks.

On top of that news it appears 1B Sean Casey, who has filled in admirably since Mike Lowell went down, strained a hip flexor while scoring in last night's game and is headed to the DL. Boston called up Opening Day hero Brandon Moss to replace Casey on the roster, so a move appears imminent.

As if all that news wasn't bad enough tonight's game will feature two starting pitchers, Boston's Clay Buchholz and Tampa Bay's Edwin Jackson, who are like Forest Gump's proverbial box of chocolates: every time they take the mound, you never know what you're gonna get.

Buchholz, the lanky 23-year-old with the no-no under his belt, has been shaky at times this season (10ER & 14 hits allowed in 8.2IP in losses to New York and Toronto) and spectacular at others (1ER & 9 hits in 12IP against the Stanks and Texas.)

But the righty has struck out 18 batters while walking only 8, and his last outing, a 5-hit shutout performance in 6 innings against the Rangers last week, was more reminiscent of his no hit stuff than his early season struggles.

Jackson, meanwhile, has also been more up & down than a congressional page. His first two starts of the season, he was lights out (7H, 1ER in 14IP), winning his first two games against the Stanks and Seattle.

Since then he's allowed 11 ER and 11 hits in losses to the Stanks and ChiSox, pitching just 9 innings over those two starts while watching his ERA balloon from 0.64 to 4.63.

So needless to say it's anybody's guess how these two young studs are going to fare tonight.

The Sox are in desperate need of a win or they will see their division lead shrink or disappear depending on what the Orioles do in their doubleheader today, while the Rays, winners of 4 in a row, would love nothing more than to take another game from mighty Boston, a victory that would pull the upstarts to within one game of the AL East lead.

Crazy times.

Hopefully not too crazy.