(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox continue their six-game road trip this evening with the first of three interleague games against the Philadelphia Phillies in a battle of first place teams at Citizens Bank Park.

Boston, which leads the AL East by 2 1/2 games, had lost nine of 10 road contests between May 11-28. The Red Sox have since won six of seven as the visitor after taking two of three games from the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, including a 9-0 drubbing in Sunday's rubber match at Great American Ball Park.

Red Sox ace Josh Beckett (7-4), who combined with two other pitchers in the six-hit shutout, improved to 9-1 in his last 10 interleague starts.

Coco Crisp hit a two-run home run and drove in four runs, while Dustin Pedroia had a solo shot and added another RBI for the Red Sox, who have won four of their last five games overall.

Already missing David Ortiz, Boston was again without slugger Manny Ramirez, who is nursing a sore hamstring suffered in the series opener on Friday. Jacoby Ellsbury took his spot in left field and filled in admirably, going 3- for-5 with a solo home run, two stolen bases and two runs scored.

Ellsbury now has 33 steals on the season and set a Boston rookie record.

Hoping to keep Boston in the win column tonight will be former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon, who is 4-1 with a 3.41 earned run average. Colon earned the win on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles, as he gave up a run and five hits in six innings.

Colon has faced the Phils four times and is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA against them.

Philadelphia will counter with left-hander Cole Hamels, who is 6-4 with a 3.27 ERA but has won four of his last five decisions. Hamels, though, did not factor in the decision of his team's 6-2 loss on Wednesday against Florida. He surrendered just two runs and three hits over eight innings in that one, while striking out a season-high 13 batters.

This will be his first start against the Red Sox.

After scoring 20 runs in beating the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, the Phillies dropped the final two games of their three-game series at Busch Stadium. Philadelphia lost Sunday's rubber match, 7-6, in 10 innings.

Ryan Howard had two hits and four runs batted in and Pat Burrell had two RBI for Philadelphia, which still leads the NL East by three games.

After retiring the first two St. Louis batters in the 10th, Tom Gordon (5-4) was unable to reach an errant throw from Phils second baseman Chase Utley at first, allowing Rick Ankiel to reach base on a sure ground out. Troy Glaus then singled to left before Chris Duncan grounded to second. Utley made an accurate throw to Gordon covering, but this time Gordon just missed the throw, allowing Ankiel to cross home for the winning run.

Brett Myers, a model of inconsistency for Philadelphia this season, struggled mightily yet again on Sunday. He surrendered six runs on eight hits over six frames in the no-decision.

Boston took five of the six matchups between these teams when they last met back in 2006 and has won nine of the last 10 meetings in this series. The Red Sox have also won six of their last seven games in Philadelphia.