The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays highlight a busy MLB Schedule

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The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays highlight a busy MLB Schedule

The Boston Red Sox believe they have a team that is capable of winning the World Series. If they want to go that far it all starts with winning against the Tampa Bay Rays..

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The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays found themselves in seemingly difficult positions after losing their first six games. As the second half begins, both expect to be battling for the AL East title for the rest of the season.

The division rivals open a three-game set Friday night at Tropicana Field having recovered from rough starts.

The Red Sox stumbled out of the gate despite the high-priced additions of Adrian Gonzalez and former Ray Carl Crawford, but Gonzalez is tied for the major league lead with a .354 average and is first in baseball with 77 RBIs. Crawford has hit .295 since batting .155 in April.

Despite injuries to the starting rotation and Crawford, who expects to return soon from a hamstring problem, the Red Sox (55-35) entered the All-Star break with a six-game winning streak and the division lead.

“It was a very difficult start. There’s no getting around that,” manager Terry Francona said. “We were taking some pretty good shots. … I think we went out and proved that we can be a good team. We’re not done yet, not even close, but we’re playing better baseball.”

Tampa Bay (49-41) is also in the mix for the division lead, though its season-opening six-game skid may be harder to overcome, as it is exactly that many games behind the Red Sox.

Still, the Rays are in the mix for a playoff spot despite the loss of Crawford to free agency, the trade of right-hander Matt Garza in the offseason and the abrupt in-season retirement of Manny Ramirez.

Tampa Bay has taken three of the first five meetings with Boston, one of them coming April 12 when David Price won 3-2 at Fenway Park after allowing two runs in 7 2-3 innings.

Price (8-7, 3.70 ERA) gave up three runs in five innings of a 4-2 home loss to the Red Sox on June 16, but he’ll get another crack at them Friday after allowing one of the most famous home runs in baseball history in his most recent start.

Tampa Bay dropped four of six going into the break, and will look to get on track as it faces Andrew Miller (3-0, 3.57).

The left-hander has won three straight starts and has posted a 3.57 ERA in four outings since joining the rotation June 20. He’s helped fill the void left by the injury to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is out for the season after Tommy John surgery.

Miller allowed three runs in five innings of a 10-4 win over Baltimore last Thursday. He has made one career start against the Rays, taking the loss after giving up five runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-2 defeat June 28, 2009.

Tampa Bay continues the current good run against the Red Sox with a win in game one of the series.

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