The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are set for Game 2 of their three-game series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, which will be televised on ESPN and can be live streamed for free by clicking this link. Red Sox fans that can't get to a television can listen to the game on WEEI 93.7 while Rays fans can tune in to WDAE 620.
The starting pitching matchup is the most compelling aspect of tonight's game, with ace-quality pitchers experiencing role reversals. Jon Lester (5-0, 2.73 ERA) is having a bounce back season of the highest order for a surprising Red Sox group, while David Price (1-3, 4.78 ERA) of the Rays has had a mystifyingly bad start to 2013, a la Lester in 2012.
Lester was 9-14 last season with a 4.82 ERA while the Red Sox sank like the Titanic to last place in the American League East, 26 games behind the loathed New York Yankees.
Price, on the other hand, was phenomenal in 2012, going 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA and bringing a Cy Young award to Tampa Bay. Price has dealt with rashes in 2013, according to ESPN.com, and some bouts with blurry vision that have contributed to a far more human campaign this time around. He has pitched well in his last two starts, but his numbers still aren't pretty.
Rays manager Joe Maddon said his rash issues made it difficult to focus on the mound, and that the team is hoping some medication can end his itchy madness. "Just concentration-wise, it's not that easy," Maddon said. "Your head feels like a block of cement, (but) David doesn't make excuses. I'd like to believe nobody around here makes excuses; I'm just saying that there are contributing factors there."
Despite his gaudy stats and Price's slow start, Lester is not underestimating his opponent. "Obviously you know going into the game who you're pitching against," Lester said. "You can't worry about, 'OK, we've got Price.' You start worrying about the pitcher, you're worrying about the wrong things."
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