Athletics-Red Sox series thumbnails

at Fenway Park

Tonight (7:05, NESN, WRKO 680): RHP Justin Duchscherer (10-7, 2.37 ERA) vs. RHP Tim Wakefield (6-8, 3.94).

Tomorrow (7:05 p.m., NESN, WRKO): LHP Dana Eveland (7-7, 3.88) vs. LHP Jon Lester (9-3, 3.17).

Sunday (1:35 p.m., NESN, WRKO): LHP Dallas Braden (2-1, 4.39) vs. RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (11-2, 3.04).

Head to head: Oakland leads the 10-game season series, 4-3.

Miscellany: The A's 2-10 slump since the All-Star break has dropped them below .500 for the first time since the first week of the season . . . DH Frank Thomas, on the disabled list for two months with a severe quadriceps strain, is expected to return tonight . . . In the last 11 games, Oakland's batting average is .221 . . . First baseman Wes Bankston and outfielder/second baseman Eric Patterson were optioned to Triple A Sacramento after the A's 4-3 loss to the Royals Wednesday.