Game 17: Orioles at Red Sox - emotional weekend on tap

Jim Monaghan
Contributing Writer

The Boston Red Sox (7-9) open up a 4-game series with the Baltimore Orioles (7-7) beginning tonight at Fenway Park on a weekend sure to be filled with a variety of emotions.

Though this past Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, this year's Patriots Day event will be held on Monday April 21 and it is sure to be marked with a memorable pre-game ceremony.

Photo courtesy ESPN
The Red Sox come back to Fenway after finishing a 3-4 road trip in which they won the last 2 games against the Chicago White Sox. John Lackey will start tonight against Baltimore's Chris Tillman. Lackey (2-1, 3.86) is coming off a tough outing against the Yankees in New York in which he allowed 4 home runs (a career high for him); Tillman is 1-1 this year with a miniscule 0.84 earned run average.

Here's the Red Sox lineup for this evening (1st pitch 7:10PM)

1) Sizemore, LF
2) Nava, RF
3) Pedroia, 2B
4) Napoli, DH
5) Carp, 1B
6) Bogaerts, SS
7) Pierzynski, C
8) Bradley, Jr., CF
9) Holt, 3B

Lackey, P

ROSTER/LINEUP NOTES
After missing close to a week, Red Sox closer Koji Uehara returned to the bullpen Thursday night to nail down his 3rd save of the year in the 3-1 Boston win over Chicago. He felt no lingering effects from the tightness in his right shoulder which had shut him down last week.

David Ortiz is not in the starting lineup in what manager John Farrell said is a scheduled day off for the Boston DH. Brock Holt has been called back up from Pawtucket and is starting at 3rd base; to make room for the move, the Red Sox designated Ryan Roberts for assignment. The team has 10 days to try to work out a trade for him or he will be waived. Shane Victorino is expected to make a minor league rehab start this weekend and Will Middlebrooks could do the same sometime next week.

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