Around the horn

The Red Sox had been hoping that they would have an opportunity to rest some of the bullpen this weekend, but Jon Lester demonstrated right away that was not going to happen yesterday, needing 60 pitches to get through only two innings. ``After that first couple of innings," acknowledged Terry Francona, ``you're hoping he goes five. That pitch count was soaring." Lester has a 4.91 ERA over the last month and has given up 3.6 walks per 9 innings - way too many free passes.

Doug Mirabelli has homered in each of his last three starts since missing five days with a twisted ankle. Javy Lopez gets the start tonight, however. Wily Mo Peña, meanwhile, has nine home runs -- as many as Bronson Arroyo has wins in Cincinnati -- including three in the last five games. Pena is hitting .311/.364/.672 over the last month.

Jonathan Papelbon's 0.94 ERA is a pretty sweet number, but let's not forget that he has blown five of his 35 save opportunities, all since June 1 (which is more than any other AL pitcher in that time frame. He does have a 1.36 ERA over that period, though, and although his walks have gone up slightly, he's still striking out 4.22 guys for every one he walks. After 24 pitches Saturday and 31 yesterday, Papelbon will not be available tonight.

Trot Nixon is eligible to be activated from the 15-day DL tomorrow, but the right fielder is still weeks away from returning from a strained right biceps. Nixon began hitting off a tee yesterday, but he’s still wearing a brace that prevents him from extending his arm too far. “His swinging will be controlled,” Francona said. “With an injury like that, the last thing we want to do is have him try to do too much.”