Boston right-hander John Lackey hopes for a little run support on Saturday when the Red Sox continue their four-game set with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Lackey has lost his last two decisions and on Monday fell to Detroit, as the Tigers reached him for three runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, dropping him to 8-12 on the year to go along with a 3.22 ERA.
Boston, though, has scored a mere 19 runs (an average of 1.73) over Lackey's last 11 games, a stretch in which he's gone 2-7 with two no-decisions.
"I'm still pretty much pitching the same," he said. "I know I've got to go out and put up as many zeros as I can.
"I don't worry about (the lack of run support). The other team's pitcher isn't my problem. I've got to get a good lineup out as many times as I can."
Lackey beat the Yankees the last time he faced them, but is 9-10 lifetime against them with a 4.58 ERA.
New York, meanwhile, turns to lefty David Huff, who will be making his first start of the season.
Huff, who will be stepping in for the ineffective Phil Hughes, has been nearly unhittable since being called up on Aug. 15, giving up just one run on six hits over 15 innings of relief.
"Huff's been throwing the ball well and we're just going to make the change," said manager Joe Girardi.
On Friday, Shane Victorino delivered the deciding blow for a second straight night, this time a tie-breaking two-run homer in the eighth inning that capped a furious Boston comeback in the Red Sox' 12-8 win.
After coming through with a clutch single in the 10th inning of Boston's wild 9-8 triumph in Thursday's opener, Victorino snapped an 8-8 deadlock by crushing a Preston Claiborne (0-2) slider into the left-field seats that completed the Red Sox' rally from a five-run deficit.
Boston scored five times in the seventh, highlighted by Mike Napoli's game- tying grand slam off Boone Logan, and four more in the eighth en route to its fourth straight victory.
"When you're down five runs in the seventh inning, to come back on this stage -- every game is big for us," said Napoli. "To come back to tie the game was a big moment."
Brandon Workman (5-2) aided the Red Sox' cause by turning in 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Starter Felix Doubront struggled, though, walking six batters while being tagged for six runs in just 3 2/3 frames.
Alfonso Soriano had a two-run homer and Brett Gardner tripled in a pair of runs in what could be a crushing loss for the Yankees, who remain 2 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the final wild card spot in the AL.
"That's a tough loss," said Yankees starter Andy Pettitte. "They're all tough right now, but what are you going to do? They've got a good club, they battled us over there."
Boston has won nine of its 14 matchups with the Yankees this season.
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