Red Sox-Angels Preview

The Boston Red Sox face an uphill climb to return to the postseason, but a roster slowly regaining its health is making that climb look more realistic.

A healthy, rejuvenated Josh Beckett would be one of the biggest pieces to the puzzle.

Making his second start since coming off the disabled list, Beckett looks to lead the Red Sox to a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels and a winning record on their 10-game road trip, which concludes Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim.

Boston (57-44) dropped 12 of 18 earlier this month amidst a rash of injuries, but may be getting healthier just in time to salvage its hopes for a fourth straight postseason appearance. Five Red Sox have come off the disabled list in the past week, with Beckett (1-1, 6.66 ERA) perhaps most critical of all.

Beckett started opening night for Boston, but rarely looked like his usual self, allowing opponents to bat .305 off him before he landed on the DL on May 19 with a lower back strain. Returning Friday night at Seattle, the former World Series MVP didn't earn a decision in Boston's 2-1 victory but limited the Mariners to one run over 5 2-3 innings while throwing fastballs clocked at 95 mph.

"It's what we have been working toward,'' said Beckett, who is 2-3 with a 4.13 ERA in eight career starts against the Angels. "I've had two months off but it's not like I haven't picked up a baseball.''

Beckett will aim to give the Red Sox their third straight strong starting pitching performance in Anaheim. After Clay Buchholz - another recent returnee from the DL - limited the Angels (52-51) to one run over seven innings of Boston's 6-3 victory Monday, former Los Angeles ace John Lackey threw 7 1-3 solid innings to earn a 4-2 win Tuesday in his return to his former home park.

While the Red Sox have a challenging road to the playoffs as they trail Tampa Bay by five games for the wild card and are seven games behind AL East-leading New York, the Angels' situation is more dire. They've dropped three straight and six of seven to fall 8 1/2 games back of Texas in the West.

"We're not a perfect club, but certainly on the offensive side, we're underachieving, and have been for a while," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It was a tough night. The guys in that room don't feel real proud about the way we played. We're better than we've shown for a while now, and that's what we have to keep focusing on."

Scioscia's club is now in danger of falling to the .500 mark at the latest point in a season since it finished 2003 with a 77-85 record.

Having Joel Pineiro (10-7, 4.18) on the mound at home may be Los Angeles' best chance to avoid that fate. In his first season with the club, the right-hander is 7-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 11 starts at Angel Stadium - including 6-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his last eight outings there.

Pineiro had also been 7-0 in his previous eight starts overall, but allowed hits to 10 of the first 21 batters he faced last Wednesday en route to a 10-6 road loss to the Yankees. He finished with six runs and 11 hits allowed over six innings.

Pineiro limited the Red Sox to two runs over six innings at Fenway Park on May 5, but was charged with a 3-1 loss to Lackey. David Ortiz homered for Boston, improving to 11 for 25 with three homers and three doubles off the veteran right-hander.