Bodog Beat

The Boston Red Sox do their best to stay ahead of the Yankees in the AL East when they take on the Marlins. (AP Images)

The Florida Marlins and Boston Red Sox will open a three-game series tonight at Fenway Park, where the Marlins will be looking for a better pitching performance than the last time they visited Boston.

The Marlins hope they are on the road back to contention after winning all three games in Toronto over the weekend. Florida hasn't won four straight since its 11-1 start, and is just 21-32 since.

Marlins righthander Chris Volstad will try to rebound from some struggles. He allowed career highs of six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 13-4 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday in his third straight defeat.

To bad he has to make his first-ever start against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, where Boston is 21-8.

Tim Wakefield will be on the mound to open the series for Boston (MLB odds have them listed as -170 favorite).