Texas @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 25, 2011 ) Boston 6, Texas 0

THE STORY: Tim Wakefield has been stuck on 199 wins for more than a month, and now his pursuit of a milestone is on hold. Clinging to a slim lead in the American League East, the Boston Red Sox are going with the hot hand. Andrew Miller takes the hill looking for a third consecutive win – and second straight over Texas – as the Red Sox host the American League West-leading Rangers on Friday in a possible playoff preview. Boston outscored the Rangers 30-11 in taking three of four last week in Texas. The Rangers, however, have won four of the last five meetings at Fenway Park.

TV: 7:10 pm. ET, KTXA, NESN, MLB Network

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Andrew Miller (6-1, 4.42 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (12-5, 4.30 ERA).

Miller, who was forced out of the rotation when the Red Sox acquired Erik Bedard, is 2-0 with a 0.77 ERA in his last two starts. The lefthander allowed just three hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 6-0 victory over the Rangers on August 25, earning another start. He’s taking the spot of Wakefield, who will take a seventh crack at win No. 200 in Toronto next week.

Holland is 6-1 with a 3.26 ERA over his last 10 starts. The lefthander allowed one run and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of an 11-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. He is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two career starts vs. Boston. Holland has received the best run support (7.29 runs/game) in baseball.

ABOUT THE RED SOX (83-53): Boston, which has a slim one-half game lead over New York in the American League East, will get big lift on Friday with the expected return of Kevin Youkilis. The third baseman has been out with a lower back strain since Aug. 18. David Ortiz, who missed nine games with bursitis in his heel, is hitting .500 (28-for-56) with seven homers and 16 RBIs during a season-high 15-game hitting streak – his longest with Boston. Dustin Pedroia hit his career-best 18th homer on Thursday – one more than he hit in his MVP season of 2008. Closer Jonathan Papelbon is one save shy of becoming the first pitcher in major-league history to record at least 30 saves in each of his first six seasons.

ABOUT THE RANGERS (78-60): Texas, which leads Los Angeles by 3 1/2 games, has been in first place for 94 of the last 97 days. Former Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre will return to Boston for the first time since signing a six-year, $96 million deal with Texas this offseason. Beltre, who returned Thursday after missing more than five weeks with a hamstring injury, hit .321 with 28 homers and 102 RBIs in his lone season with the Red Sox. Josh Hamilton has hit in 27 of the last 34 games and is batting .306 since July 1.

FINAL PITCH: “I know what’s on the line with him personally. I’m very aware of that. I think it’s my responsibility to always put our team in the best position.” – Red Sox manager Terry Francona on his decision to skip Wakefield in the rotation.