(My Sportsbook) - Josh Beckett makes his final case to be the American League's starting pitcher at next week's All-Star Game when the Boston Red Sox conclude a three-game set with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park.

Beckett has been brilliant for the Red Sox this season, going 11-2 with a 3.38 earned run average. However, he enters tonight's tilt on a sour note after falling to the Texas Rangers in his last start on Saturday. Beckett surrendered five runs and 10 hits over five innings of that one.

The 27-year-old right-hander is 1-2 in his career against the Devil Rays with a 5.03 ERA in three starts.

Tampa will counter with righty J.P. Howell, who is winless in his last five starts. Howell was tagged with the loss on Saturday against Cleveland, as he allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings to fall to 1-2 on the season, while raising his ERA to 5.19.

Howell received a no-decision in his only other start against the Red Sox, yielding five runs (four earned) on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Boston added to Tampa's misery on Wednesday, as Mike Lowell hit a two-run home run and Doug Mirabelli knocked in a pair of runs to lead the Red Sox to a 7-5 win.

Lowell also scored twice and J.D. Drew contributed with two doubles and an RBI for the Red Sox, who have won three in a row and four of their last six.

Tim Wakefield (9-8) earned the win despite struggling at times. The knuckleballer gave up four runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out a pair and walked two. Jonathan Papelbon came in for the ninth to earn his 20th save of the season.

Carl Crawford finished 3-for-5 with a two-run double and scored a run and Carlos Pena drove in a pair for Tampa, which has dropped 10 straight.

Edwin Jackson (1-9) struggled through five innings of work, surrendering seven runs on nine hits, while striking out five and walking one.

Since the start of the 2004 campaign Boston holds a 39-20 advantage in the series, including an impressive 26-5 mark in Beantown during that time.