On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every Rangers series during the 2014 season.
The Opponent: The pageantry and pomp of the Boston Red Sox home-opening series didn't lead to victories, as the defending World Series champs were swept at Fenway Park over the weekend.
Past 2013 Meetings: The Rangers went 4-2 against the Red Sox in 2013, but lost the series in Fenway Park 2-1 after sweeping the Red Sox in Arlington.
Pitching Matchups: Monday — Tanner Scheppers (0-0, 15.75 ERA) vs. John Lackey (1-0, 3.00); Tuesday — Martin Perez (0-0, 3.18) vs. Felix Doubront (1-0, 5.06); Wednesday — Robbie Ross (0-0, 3.60) vs. Jake Peavy (0-0, 3.00).
What's Hot: Josh Wilson just keeps on hitting for the Rangers as a platoon second baseman in place of the injured Jurickson Profar. The veteran was huge on Opening Day and is now 5-for-8 on the season with three RBIs. Alex Rios is hitting .348 and has a team-high five RBIs. Perez was great in his season debut last week and will look to build off an outing which saw him run into trouble in the sixth inning after a stellar five innings against the Phillies.
Super prospect Xander Bogaerts is off to a hot start for the Red Sox, hitting .381 with two doubles in his first 21 at-bats of the season. His middle infield mate Dustin Pedroia is right behind him, hitting .357 in his first 28 at-bats. Former Ranger Mike Napoli has a team-high two bombs for the Red Sox so far this season and is also the club leader with seven RBIs.
What's Not: Scheppers was just awful in his first career start on Opening Day. That's a lot to deal with, and the Rangers hope he can settle down a lot more in his second big-league start against the Red Sox. Scheppers last four innings in the game, walking three and allowing seven earned runs. Two new Rangers, Prince Fielder and J.P. Arencibia, are struggling to start the season, hitting just .167 and .154, respectively.
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Another former Rangers catcher, A.J. Pierzynski, isn't off to a good start in Beantown with just two hits in his first five games. Grady Sizemore's comeback bid hasn't gone well, so far, as he is hitting just .214 in his first four games. Doubront has a 5.06 ERA after his first start.
Familiar Faces: Two former Rangers catchers are now starters for the Red Sox, with Napoli in his second season as the Red Sox's first baseman, and Pierzynski in his first season in Boston behind the plate after his one year in Texas in 2013. The Rangers have absolutely owned Lackey over his career, as his career ERA is north of 6.00 against the Rangers, the worst of any opponent. A lot of that damage has come in Arlington, but Fenway Park isn't exactly a pitchers' haven.
