Boston @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 1, 2011 ) Boston 7, Houston 5

THE STORY: The Red Sox appeared headed for another loss before mounting an unlikely rally in Friday night’s 7-5 win at Minute Maid Park. The Red Sox, who have lost six of their last nine and are 2½ games behind division-leading New York, start Andrew Miller in the second of a three-game interleague series. The Astros have won just once at home in their last 10 games and counter with Jay Happ. Houston has lost the last eight games that Happ has started.

TV: 7:05 p.m. NESN (Boston), FSH (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Andrew Miller (1-0, 3.09 ERA) vs. Astros LH Jay Happ (3-9, 5.54 ERA). Miller is only member of the Red Sox staff with a history against the Astros. As a Florida Marlin, he made a pair of starts against Houston, going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. Miller's brief stint with Boston has been better. He didn’t figure in the decision as Boston beat San Diego 14-5 in his debut, but earned the win in his second outing, a 4-2 triumph at Pittsburgh. Miller is poised to take Tim Wakefield’s spot in the rotation if he can continue to pitch well. He has fanned 10 in 11 innings with the Red Sox. Happ faced Boston once while a member of the Phillies in 2009 and he allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings. The lefty has gone 0-5 since beating the Mets on May 14. Happ has struggled with control, allowing 43 walks in 87 innings and he was tagged for five runs on nine hits in his last outing, a 14-10 loss against Tampa Bay. Opponents are batting .272 against Happ, and lefties are hitting him at a .328 clip.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (29-54): Houston’s woes could be summed up in one inning. The Astros and starter Bud Norris took a comfortable lead into the seventh Friday, but when the smoke cleared, Boston was receiving plenty of cheers from the sizable pro-Red Sox crowd contingent. As the losses continue to mount, the Astros appear to be players at the month's end trading deadline. Pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers and rightfielder Michael Bourn could be on the trading block.

ABOUT THE RED SOX (47-34): Boston was 3-25 when trailing after six innings heading into Friday night’s game. The Red Sox scored six times in the seventh inning rally from a 5-1 deficit and even their interleague mark at 8-8. Still, the Red Sox hardly look like the juggernaut they appeared to be in early June. Playing in another NL city, Boston sat designated hitter David Ortiz and also played without Carl Crawford (DL) and Jacoby Ellsbury, who missed the game due to illness. Crawford is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday, but won’t. Adrian Gonzalez had two more RBIs, giving him a major league-best 73.

FINAL PITCH: Boston manager Terry Francona said he may start Ortiz at first base and move Gonzalez to right field for Saturday’s game. Ortiz has started just once on the current road trip, but Happ’s ineffectiveness against lefties will most likely give Ortiz a spot in the lineup.