The Red Sox are aiming for their sixth straight series win as they welcome the Padres to Fenway Park for the first matchup between the two teams since the Adrian Gonzalez trade.
So far, there are no complaints from the Red Sox. Adrian Gonzalez has been everything promised, sitting at third in the American League in Ops, Gonzalez trails only Jose Bautista and Miguel Cabrera, and has the most RBI of any player in the game.
San Diego has also seen early returns, as Anthony Rizzo proved to be too much for the Triple-A PCL, clubbing 16 home runs in his 52 games with the Tucson Padres. Now, with just 10 games under his belt in the Majors, Rizzo is headed to Fenway to play in the park that could, in another world, have been his own.
Still, when the Padres traded away Adrian Gonzalez, they knew they were also dealing away the success they had found in 2010, and through the first 70-or-so games of the season, that has certainly proved to be the case. Sitting at 30-43, the Padres will be approaching the midway point of the year looking ahead not to October, but to 2012 and beyond while the 43-28 Red Sox fix their sights firmly on the road to the 2011 World Series.
Boston Red Sox (43-28) Vs. San Diego Padres (30-43)
Monday, June 20, 7:10 p.m.
NESN
Andrew Miller (0-0, -.--) vs. Wade LeBlanc (0-2, 4.26 ERA)
Tuesday, June 21, 7:10 p.m.
NESN
Josh Beckett (6-2, 1.86 ERA) vs. Mat Latos (4-8, 4.06 ERA)
Wednesday, June 22, 1:35 p.m.
NESN
John Lackey (5-5, 7.02 ERA) vs. Clayton Richard (3-5, 4.18 ERA)