Tampa Bay @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2011 ) Tampa Bay 1, Boston 3

THE STORY: Tampa Bay has its pitching lined up for a crucial three-game series at Fenway Park. The visiting Rays, desperately needing to sweep the Boston Red Sox to get back in either the AL East or the wild-card picture, will start James Shields and Jeff Niemann in a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday. Tampa Bay will turn to ace David Price on Wednesday. Boston starts Jon Lester in the first game of Tuesday’s twin bill and then goes with newly acquired Erik Bedard in the nightcap. The Red Sox have lost three of four.

UPDATE: David Ortiz missed the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with bursitis of his right heel. It was originally reported he was ill. Ortiz could play the second game.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SUN, NESN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jeff Niemann (7-4, 3.43 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Erik Bedard (4-7, 3.55 ERA).

Niemann is on a roll, going 5-0 with a 1.65 ERA in his last seven starts. He allowed just two hits in eight scoreless innings against Boston on July 17 but the Red Sox pulled out a 1-0 win in a memorable 16-inning Sunday night game. Niemann fanned 10 batters in the game.

Bedard has made two starts for Boston and hasn’t figured in a decision while allowing five runs in 10 innings. Boston split the two games. Bedard is 11-4 with a 3.41 ERA against Tampa Bay in his career. He is on a strict pitch count with the Red Sox and can’t be expected to throw more than six innings.

ABOUT THE RED SOX (73-46): Boston couldn’t solve Felix Hernandez on Saturday night and was surprisingly silenced by Charlie Furbush on Sunday. The two-game losing streak dropped the Red Sox into a tie with the New York Yankees atop the AL East. The Red Sox also are in the midst of a very difficult part of its schedule. Kevin Youkilis returned to the lineup after missing two games with a bad back and homered on Sunday. Before losing its series to Seattle over the weekend, Boston had won or tied 11 series in a row.

ABOUT THE RAYS (64-55): Tampa Bay was rained out in its series finale against the Yankees on Sunday and enters its three-game set against the Red Sox nine games out of first place and 8½ out in the wild-card standings. Tampa Bay hit five homers against lefty CC Sabathia on Friday and hopes to continue that success against Boston’s two lefthanders on Tuesday. Tampa Bay bumped Wade Davis from his turn in the rotation because of the magnitude of the series.

FINAL PITCH: "We don't want to skip either (Shields or Price), and Niemann's been kind of a hot hand lately, so it just makes sense to go that way.” – Rays manager Joe Maddon said on lining up his pitching rotation after Sunday’s rainout.