Boston @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2011 ) Boston 0, Texas 4

THE STORY: Mike Napoli and the Texas Rangers seem to have the number of the Boston Red Sox. Napoli homered for the fourth time in as many games this season against the Red Sox as Texas cruised to a 4-0 triumph on Monday in a potential playoff preview. Napoli and American League West-leading Rangers will look to keep the good times going when they face Boston in the second of a four-game set on Tuesday. Texas has won 11 of its last 13 home games against Boston, including all four this season.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FSH (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH John Lackey (11-9, 6.02 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Colby Lewis (11-8, 3.83 ERA)

Lackey saw his career-best six-game winning streak come to an end with a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Texas native knows the Rangers well from his days as a member of the American League West rival Los Angeles Angels. Lackey posted an 11-13 career mark versus Texas, but was scorched in his lone outing this season. He yielded nine runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings in a 12-5 loss on April 2.

Lewis is starting to heat up as the Rangers continue their postseason push. The 31-year-old Lewis followed a sizzling effort against the Oakland Athletics with seven scoreless innings against the Angels on Thursday. Lewis has won two of three career decisions versus the Red Sox, including a triumph on April 2 in which he permitted three runs in six innings.

ABOUT THE RED SOX (77-50): Boston's bats barely made the trip to Arlington on Monday, as the Red Sox mustered just four hits - all singles - en route to the team's ninth shutout loss of the season. Help could be on the way in the form of Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been sidelined since Friday after being hit by a pitch. He is expected to return on Tuesday. The Red Sox are still without David Ortiz, who has been plagued by bursitis in his right heel. He took batting practice on Monday and manager Terry Francona expects the slugger to return no earlier than Wednesday. Ortiz collected three homers and seven RBIs during his seven-game hitting streak prior to the injury. Adrian Gonzalez, who had one of his team's four hits on Monday, is 3-for-3 in his career against Lewis. With the loss on Monday, Boston fell one full game behind the idle New York Yankees in the AL East. Admittedly there is plenty of baseball left to be played in the regular season, but should the Red Sox earn the wild card, they'll likely face the Rangers in the American League Divisional Series.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (74-55): Napoli extended his hitting streak to a season-best 11 games with a three-run homer in the sixth inning. He has nine homers all-time in 25 starts against Boston pitching. Napoli is just 1-for-7 in his career against Lackey, although the one hit left the yard. Ian Kinsler (12-for-25) and Josh Hamilton (11-for-23) have enjoyed considerable success against Lackey. Third baseman Adrian Beltre, who has been plagued by a hamstring injury, was cleared to start running the bases. The Rangers lead the Angels by 4.5 games with a pivotal three-game home set against their AL West rivals on tap this weekend.

FINAL PITCH: Texas has belted 12 homers in four games against Boston this season, outscoring the Red Sox by a 30-11 margin.