(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox were able to fight another day for a possible playoff spot and will continue a four-game road series tonight against the Chicago White Sox from U.S. Cellular Field.
Boston is 5 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for a wild card berth with six to play and recorded a 6-1 win over the White Sox in Monday's series opener. David Ortiz hit a two-run double in the first inning for the Red Sox, who have won four of five games and will host the Yankees at Fenway Park this coming weekend.
Adrian Beltre had four hits and two RBI, while Victor Martinez knocked in a pair of runs and scored twice in the win. Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz pushed his record to 17-7 with eight innings of one-run ball and Scott Atchison shut the door with a scoreless ninth inning.
"I felt pretty good," Buchholz told the club's site. "In the bullpen, I felt like the velocity was going to be pretty good for the night. I just had to get out there and get a feel for a couple other pitches. Once I got out there and me and Vic (Martinez) were on the same page for pretty much every pitch, everything fell into place."
Things haven't fallen into place for Boston newcomer John Lackey, who is 13-11 with a 4.51 earned run average in 31 starts this season. Lackey will get the nod Tuesday and ended a four-start losing streak in last Wednesday's 6-1 victory over Baltimore. He held the Orioles to one run and five hits over seven innings of a 6-1 triumph at Fenway Park.
Lackey, a right-hander, lost to the White Sox at home on Sept. 4 this season and is 3-6 in 14 career starts against them. He owns an identical record as the visitor this season.
Brent Morel knocked in the only run and Manny Ramirez ended with two hits for the White Sox, whose four-game win streak came to a halt. Chicago starter Mark Buehrle was charged in defeat for 11 hits and four runs over six innings.
"Buehrle struggled, and when you make mistakes, they're going to hurt you," said Ozzie Guillen, who announced before the game he will honor his contract and manage the White Sox in 2011.
The Pale Hose will host Cleveland for three games to end the season and will send Edwin Jackson to the mound Tuesday night. Jackson is 0-2 in his last four outings and 3-2 in nine starts with Chicago this season. He did not figure into the decision of last Wednesday's 4-3 win at Oakland and was touched for three runs -- two earned -- in seven innings.
Jackson, who is 9-12 in 30 starts with both Arizona and Chicago this season, owns a 2-4 mark in 12 career meetings (9 starts) with the Red Sox. The righty last faced Boston on August 10, 2009 in a 6-5 defeat at Fenway Park and registered a no-decision for allowing four runs and nine hits in four frames.
Chicago swept a three-game set from the Red Sox from Sept. 4-5 and has won seven of the previous nine tilts in this series.