Boston @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2010 ) Boston 2, Chi. White Sox 5

Jon Lester goes for his 20th win of the season as the Boston Red Sox face the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday night.

It will be Lester's final start of the season as Boston was eliminated from the playoff picture on Tuesday. Chicago will start John Danks (14-11).

Lester is making a late-season push to get into the AL Cy Young conversation. While most believe that the award will go to New York's CC Sabathia, Tampa Bay's David Price or Seattle's Felix Hernandez, no pitcher has been as hot as the Boston left-hander down the stretch.

Lester has won six straight starts and eight out of his last nine. The left-hander has allowed just one earned run in his last three outings, a stretch of 22 innings.

His 19 wins are tied for second in the AL and his ERA of 2.96 is fourth. Lester is also third in the AL with 220 strikeouts.

Lester merits consideration for the award especially considering that he is 6-1 on the season against AL East leaders New York and Tampa Bay. Lester brings a 2-1 career mark against the White Sox into Thursday's game.

Danks is 2-4 lifetime against Boston, including a dominant performance at Boston earlier in the month. Danks went seven innings allowing just one run as Chicago defeated Boston in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park.

That outing still stings for Boston. The Red Sox lost both games of the twinbill by identical 3-1 scores and what appeared to be set up as a promising homestand turned into a nightmare. Chicago has beaten Boston five of the six games the two teams have played this season.

Freddy Garcia led the way Wednesday as Chicago defeated Boston 5-2. Garcia allowed just two hits over seven innings as Chicago won for the second straight night.

Josh Beckett (6-6) pitched out of a bases-loaded jam with a double play in the sixth inning. But he couldn't get out of another jam in the seventh. Chicago blew the game open with four hits, a walk and a throwing error by Victor Martinez. Omar Vizquel and Alexei Ramirez had RBIs in the inning as Chicago took a 4-1 lead.

Chicago closer Bobby Jenks is still unsure if he will pitch again this season. Jenks has missed nearly a month with a strained nerve in his pitching arm, and did some throwing the bullpen on Monday.