Oakland @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2011 ) Oakland 3, Boston 9

THE STORY: The Boston Red Sox find themselves in a pair of races this weekend. The Red Sox are not only battling the New York Yankees for the American League East title but they are also racing Hurricane Irene, which is heading up the Eastern seaboard. The Red Sox will play a pair of games Saturday and hope to beat the approaching storm and the Oakland Athletics. Jon Lester will start against Guillermo Moscoso in the first game. Boston goes with Erik Bedard in the nightcap, while Oakland counters with Graham Godfrey as Sunday’s scheduled game was switched to Saturday.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, CS California (Oakland), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Graham Godfrey (1-1, 4.24 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Erik Bedard (4-9, 3.57).

The Athletics summoned Graham Godfrey from Triple A Sacramento on Saturday to start the second game of a doubleheader. Godfrey has pitched well in the minors, posting a 2.75 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 101 innings. Godfrey has appeared in only three games in the majors and has one win - an impressive interleague start against San Francisco on June 17. He was demoted after a loss to the Mets on June 23. Bedard hasn’t pitched poorly since joining the Red Sox, but he hasn’t won either. Bedard took a 4-0 loss in the series opener against Texas last week and then sat back and watched Boston score 30 runs in the final three games of the series. Bedard has started four games for Boston and allowed 12 runs in 22 innings. He is 4-3 lifetime against Oakland with a 2.89 ERA.

ABOUT THE RED SOX (80-51): Boston is one game ahead of New York in the AL East. The Red Sox hit two home runs Friday night and have nine in the past three games. Adrian Gonzalez did not homer but the slugger, who endured a stretch of 157 at-bats with one homer, has belted five in his last four games. He drove in one run Friday. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz hit back-to-back homers Friday. Boston recalled Scott Atchison from Triple A Pawtucket before Friday’s game and sent Ryan Lavarnway, an impressive looking rookie, back to the minors because of the doubleheader. Atchison pitched Friday but Boston’s back end of the bullpen, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, are both well-rested.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (60-71): The Athletics rebounded from Thursday’s debacle when the Yankees pounded them for 22 runs on 21 hits and 13 walks to win the opener of the series 15-5 on Friday night. Scott Sizemore and Josh Willingham both cracked two-run homers in a six-run fourth inning off loser Tim Wakefield. The Athletics demoted relievers Jordan Norberto and Bruce Billings after Thursday’s embarrassment, and recalled relievers Josh Outman and Jerry Blevins for the weekend series. Oakland has won only 12 of its last 41 games at Boston, but has won seven of its last 10 overall and has scored 36 runs in its last four games.

FINAL PITCH: The Red Sox and Athletics have no mutual days off this season, so if the teams can’t get in the doubleheader before the storm arrives, the game will have to made up Sept. 29 - if necessary, the day after the scheduled end of the regular season and one day before the start of the playoffs.