Boston Red Sox (38-24) at Philadelphia Phillies (35-25)

The defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies have dropped two in a row on their home field to the Boston Red Sox and will attempt to avoid a series sweep this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

Ace Josh Beckett will be on the hill this afternoon for the Red Sox, and he has an outstanding 7-2 record with a 3.77 ERA this season. With 76 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings, Beckett has been dominant at times. He has won his last three starts, including a victory over the Yankees on Tuesday in which he struck out eight batters in six innings.

In 16 career games against the Phillies, many of which came when he was a member of the Florida Marlins, Beckett is 8-3 with a 3.67 ERA.

J.A. Happ will get the ball for the Phillies today, and he is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.98 ERA thus far. The lefty, who has never faced Boston in his young career, is coming off Tuesday's no-decision against the Mets in which he permitted four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.

On Saturday, Julio Lugo recorded four hits, including two doubles, and drove in a pair of runs as Boston scored five times in the first inning en route to an 11-6 victory over Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.

Jason Bay hit a two-run homer and added a sacrifice fly for the Red Sox, who have won five straight overall. Jacoby Ellsbury homered and finished with two RBI, while Mike Lowell went 3-for-4 with two walks and scored once.

Daisuke Matsuzaka got the start for Boston and was charged with four runs on seven hits in four innings. Hideki Okajima (3-0) earned the win after tossing two innings of relief.

Boston has now won 13 of the last 15 meetings against the Phillies and is 10-2 over its 12 most recent games as the visitor in this series.

Jayson Werth finished 3-for-4 with a homer and two runs batted in for Philadelphia, which has dropped five of eight. Chase Utley collected three hits with an RBI and a run scored, while Pedro Feliz belted a two-run shot for the Phillies, who are 12-16 at home and 23-9 on the road this year.

Philadelphia starter Antonio Bastardo's (2-1) maiden voyage through the majors hit a snag, as he was victimized for five runs -- four earned -- on three hits and three walks in just one inning of work before an extended rain delay. He had won his first two big-league starts against San Diego and the Dodgers

"We had some sloppy defense giving up five runs," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. "After that we tried to catch up and came back on them, but couldn't hold them."

Things could have been even worse for Philadelphia, as Boston stranded 13 men on base.

Phillies' slugger Raul Ibanez hit his 22nd home run in Saturday's loss, tying him with St. Louis' Albert Pujols and San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez for the MLB lead.