Game Preview: Tampa Bay Rays (0-0) @ Boston Red Sox (0-0)

• Season Series: Tied 0-0
• TAM Starter: James Shields (0-0)
• BOS Starter: Josh Beckett (0-0)
• Weather Forecast: 49 degrees, partly cloudy
• First Pitch: 4:06 p.m.

The weather looks to be cooperating with the Red Sox and Rays today for their highly-anticipated ALCS rematch at Fenway Park. Josh Beckett and James Shields will oppose each other for the third time since 2008.

In their first match-up, Shields out-dueled Beckett by tossing a two-hitter in the Rays' 3-0 win on Apr. 27, 2008. Beckett was pretty good himself, striking out 13 and allowing just two earned runs in seven innings.

In their second match-up at Fenway on May 3rd, the Red Sox pummeled Shields for seven runs in 3.2 innings, while Beckett lasted eight innings for the victory.

In 2008, the Rays batted .209 against Beckett in the regular season. In what was generally considered an off year for Beckett, he pitched well against the Rays, compiling a 2.06 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 35 innings.

In two starts at Fenway in 2008, Shields allowed 11 earned runs in just 4.2 innings. He was much better at home against Boston, allowing just two runs in 15.1 innings.

Yesterday at 2:05 was supposed to be the time of this game, but torrential downpours spawned an early-morning postponement to this afternoon. The early cancellation spared Beckett, Shields and the rest of the Red Sox and Rays of any uncertainty.

Projected lineups:

Tampa Bay

2B Akinori Iwamura
LF Carl Crawford
CF B. J. Upton
3B Evan Longoria
1B Carlos Pena
DH Pat Burrell
RF Matt Joyce
C Dioner Navarro
SS Jason Bartlett

Boston

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B Dustin Pedroia
DH David Ortiz
1B Kevin Youkilis
RF J.D. Drew
LF Jason Bay
3B Mike Lowell
C Jason Varitek
SS Jed Lowrie