Red Sox open set with Indians

Felix Doubront tries to bounce back from a rare bad start on Thursday when the Boston Red Sox open a four-game set with the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

Doubront hasn't pitched since Friday against Minnesota, which battered him for five runs and eight hits in only five innings. Doubront also walked four batters, but escaped without a decision in his team's 6-5 loss.

"I got a little bit frustrated from those calls and then I made a couple mistakes after that," said Doubront. "When I didn't get those calls, I started throwing the ball and making mistakes up in the zone and down. I was a little bit mad. I thought they were crossing the zone for a strike."

He hasn't won since July 18, but is 10-5 on the year with a 4.56 ERA.

Doubront beat the Indians back on May 12 in his only other appearance against them.

Josh Beckett was bad again for the Red Sox on Wednesday, as the Rangers battered the right-hander and Boston fell, 10-9.

Beckett, who hadn't allowed a homer since May 10 -- 12 starts --, served up three long balls on Wednesday. He surrendered a season-high eight runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings.

"It's tough. It'd be a lot better if we were winning two out of every three games," said Beckett. "That's what makes it tough. These are the guys I've got to come to work with every day. It's been tough on all of us."

Adrian Gonzalez racked up three doubles, three RBI and three runs scored and Will Middlebrooks added a three-run shot for Boston, which went 4-6 on its 10- game homestand.

"Any loss at this point is tough," Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "We have to try to find a way to turn the page and have a great road trip."

The Indians, meanwhile, will be trying to make it two straight wins after snapping an 11-game losing streak on Wednesday by salvaging the finale of their three-game set with the Minnesota Twins, 6-2.

Justin Masterson (8-10) was charged for two runs on just three hits and four walks with seven strikeouts to earn the victory, while Shin-Soo Choo finished with four hits, two RBI and a run scored.

Casey Kotchman added an RBI and scored twice for the Indians, who fell one loss shy of tying the franchise record for consecutive defeats, set from May 7-21, 1931.

"I know we had an 11-game losing streak and we have a long way to go," Choo said, "but baseball's never over. Look at the Cardinals last year. A lot can happen in baseball. We showed that in the last 11 games."

Getting the call for the Tribe tonight will be inconsistent righty Ubaldo Jimenez, who has lost his last four decisions. Jimenez dropped his second straight start on Saturday in Detroit, as he allowed six runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 frames to fall to 8-11 on the year to go along with a 5.29 ERA.

"To tell you the truth, I felt really good," Jimenez said. "I was able to let it go and you saw my breaking ball. The only thing is that I think they were better."

Jimenez was rocked for seven runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Red Sox earlier in the year and has pitched to an 11.70 ERA in two starts against them.

Boston took three of four from the Tribe earlier in the year and has beaten them in five of the last seven meetings.