(Sports Network) - Right-handed ace Josh Beckett will try to pitch Boston back into first place tonight, when the second-place Red Sox meet the American League East Division-leading Tampa Bay Rays in the middle test of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Beckett, a member of the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins before heading to Boston prior to the 2006 season, is 4-3 in seven lifetime starts against the Rays with a 3.86 earned run average in 46 2/3 innings.

He's split a pair of meetings with Tampa Bay thus far in 2008, losing a 3-0 verdict on April 27 in St. Petersburg before rebounding with a 12-4 win in a follow-up meeting on May 3 in Boston.

Beckett is 0-1 with a no-decision in his last two overall starts, allowing 11 hits and four runs over 13 innings with three walks and 19 strikeouts.

The Red Sox trimmed Tampa Bay's first-place margin to one-half game on Tuesday night, scoring four times in the sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit en route to a 7-4 triumph.

Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew homered for Boston, which got a win from youngster Justin Masterson (2-0) in just his third major-league start and save No. 17 on the season from closer Jonathan Papelbon.

The victory was the 11th in a row at Fenway Park for the Red Sox, who haven't lost at home since May 1.

Matt Garza (4-2) took the loss for the Rays, who got home runs from Akinori Iwamura and Carlos Pena.

Right-hander Edwin Jackson goes for the Rays tonight in his third meeting of the season with Boston.

The 24-year-old got a no-decision after allowing just five hits and a run in seven innings of Tampa Bay's 2-1 win over Boston on April 26, then dropped a 7-3 verdict on May 2 while surrendering nine hits and six runs in four innings.

Jackson was hit hard in his most recent start, allowing 10 hits and four runs over six innings of a 5-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. His last win came May 24 against Baltimore, when he pitched five innings and allowed four hits and three runs in an 11-4 Rays win.

He is 2-2 in nine lifetime games against Boston with a 5.50 ERA in 37 2/3 innings.

Boston has now won four of seven versus Tampa Bay so far this year, and the Rays have won just five times in their last 32 visits to Boston.