Good afternoon. Here is a preview of the game tonight:

RED SOX (62-70)
Podsednik LF
Pedroia 2B
Ellsbury CF
Ross RF
Loney 1B
Saltalamacchia C
Aviles DH
Ciriaco 3B
Iglesias SS
Pitching: RHP Aaron Cook (3-7, 4.76)

ATHLETICS (73-57)
Crisp CF
Drew SS
Reddick RF
Cespedes LF
Moss 1B
Gomes DH
Donaldson 3B
Kottaras C
Pennington 2B
Pitching: RHP Brandon McCarthy (7-5, 3.12)

Game time: 10:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN / WEEI

Red Sox vs. McCarthy: Pedroia 2-9, Aviles 0-7, Ellsbury 2-4, Loney 0-3, Ros 0-3, Salty 1-3, Podsednik 0-2.

Athletics vs. Cook: Drew 13-38, Gomes 7-14, Kottaras 2-8, Crisp 3-7, Moss 4-4, Rosales 1-3, Cespedes 1-3, Norris 0-3, Pennington 0-3, Reddick 1-2, Smith 0-3.

Stat of the Day: Pedroia has hit safely in 23 of the last 24 games at .357 (35 for 98) with 12 doubles, one triple, three homers, 15 RBI and 19 runs. Pedroia also has a 10 straight at 14 of 42. He leads the majors with 12 doubles and is tied for second in the AL with 16 extra-base hits in August.
Notes: The Sox have lost three straight and eight of 11. ... The Sox are 1-5 against the Athletics despite getting outscored only 27-21. ... The Sox are 35-36 against the Athletics the last eight years, 12-21 at Oakland Coliseum. ... Cook is 1-6, 4.91 in his last nine starts. He faced Oakland on July 4 and allowed three runs on nine hits over six innings. ... McCarthy is 2-3, 5.23 in eight career appearances against the Sox. He beat them May 2, allowing one run over 6.2 innings. ... Loney has hit safely in each of his first five games with Boston. He also has an RBI in each of his first four starts with the Sox, the first player to accomplish that feat since 1995 when Jose Canseco and Matt Stairs both did it.

Song of the Day: "Big Tears" by Elvis Costello.