BOSTON -- Offense hasnt been a problem for the Red Sox through 81 games, but Bostons struggles on the mound are threatening to undo all the good the team is doing at the plate.At the midway point, the Red Sox (44-37) have scored a league-leading 451 runs, a total they added to handsomely Sunday in a 10-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels.However, their mediocre pitching -- a 4.49 team ERA that ranks 11th in the AL -- might prove troublesome entering their three-game series with the Texas Rangers that starts Monday.While this is a strong offensive team, we still have areas of improvement, Red Sox manager John Farrell said. The key (to the second half of our season) without a doubt will be to stabilize our pitching, particularly in the rotation.The Rangers (52-31) own the top record in the AL, although they are in the midst of a little funk after dropping two of three games -- including a 5-4 defeat Sunday -- to the major-league-worst Minnesota Twins.Overall, the Rangers have lost four of their past five.We hit some balls hard today, Texas manager Jeff Banister said after his teams eight-hit attack Sunday. We hit them right at some people, and we hit some line drives into the outfield. Couple feet either way, and its a different ballgame.As a unit, the Rangers offense has held its own, scoring 407 runs, a total that is tied for seventh in the majors.On Monday, Texas will have to contend with one of Bostons most consistent arms, right-hander Rick Porcello (9-2, 3.78 ERA).Porcello has pitched well at home this season, going 6-0 with a 3.48 ERA in seven starts at Fenway Park this year.His numbers against Texas havent been as encouraging, though. In eight career starts against the Rangers, Porcello is 4-4 with a 5.86 ERA.Shin-Soo Choo, who hit a solo home run and drove in three runs total Sunday, has hit Porcello well historically, batting .286 (10-for-35) with four RBI against him.Adrian Beltre is 8-for-21 with a solo home run off Porcello.Last time out, Porcello allowed a run on five hits and three walks while striking out eight in a six-inning, 8-2 victory at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.Nick Martinez (1-1, 5.00 ERA) has the task of containing the Red Soxs high-powered offense in Mondays opener.The right-hander will be making his fourth start for the Rangers after giving up two runs on three hits and five walks with two strikeouts in a five-inning no-decision Wednesday at the New York Yankees.Martinez is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in two career starts against Boston, including a June 24 start in which he allowed four runs on six hits over six innings in another no-decision.Mookie Betts is 3-for-7 against him, while Jackie Bradley Jr. is 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Hanley Ramirez has also teed off on Martinez, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI.Texas took two of three games against Boston when the teams met for a weekend series in Arlington on June 24-26. The Rangers won five of seven meetings with the Red Sox last season. Brad Brach Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Anthony Rizzo Jersey . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-joe-maddon-jersey/ . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Steve Cishek Jersey .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. Javier Baez Cubs Jersey . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. CALGARY, Alberta -- The Minnesota Wild were great in October but fell to slightly below average in November and begin December in Alberta trying to turn things around.The Wild surrendered a lead for the third time in six games Tuesday in Vancouver, prompting frustrated head coach Bruce Boudreau to cancel a day off on Wednesday in Calgary and replace it with a 70-minute practice.We have to be better, thats it, right wing Jason Pominville said after the 5-4 loss to the Canucks. Obviously, we are disappointed. Were not happy with the result we got. We have to take a couple of days here, get some rest, get some practice and get back to work.After starting the season with a 6-2-1 October, the Wild slid to a 5-6-2 November, and they begin shopping for pre-Christmas victories Friday against the surging Calgary Flames.Well regroup, Boudreau said. We have two days before our next game and two practices before our next game. Well see where we stand.Wednesdays practice focused mostly on how to avoid odd-man rushes, which was a big part of the Vancouver game. Boudreau called out the line of Zach Parise, Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle for their misdeeds, and Parise took ownership when he stood in front of media in Calgary.We didnt support each other very much up the ice, turned the puck over a lot in the offensive zone, he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was just one of those games. We couldnt get much going. It happens.Boudreau spoke to that line about doing better.Theyre good players and theyre all professional and theyre going to get back on track. Wed like to see, and we havent seen it too often, that all the lines are going at the same time. ... Theyre good players. Its a good team. Well find out way again Friday, he said.Coyle offered this after Thursdays practice: Weve got to be ready to come out right away and get to our game fast.ddddddddddddWhile the Wild were trying to sort through their problems while awaiting Fridays game, the Flames were continuing to ride the hot goaltending of Chad Johnson, who stopped 39 shots to blank the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.Johnson was brought to Calgary to back up Brian Elliott, but he has taken over the No. 1 role by going 6-2-0 with three shutouts and a 1.50 goals-against-average in his last eight starts. He became the first Flames goaltender to record three shutouts in one month since Fred Braithwaite did it in December 1999.The Flames returned home after playing six games in nine nights and going 3-2-1. They are now 11-13-2 and within sight of .500 thanks to Johnson.He was fantastic, Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said. We were a tired hockey club. (The Leafs) are in there back-to-back, I understand that, but six in nine nights and coming back home from New York, we were a tired club. I loved our start and then when you get a goaltending performance that Johnny gives us, it gives you a chance.The Flames begun the Johnny Gaudreau watch in earnest recently. The star winger returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since breaking a finger on a slash from Staal in Minnesota on Nov. 15. The Flames said then hed be out four to six weeks and hes now in his third week of recovery.Calgary are 5-3-1 without Gaudreau.We said when Johnny was injured that this was a chance for us to solidify and come together and have other guys step up and solidify a good defensive base, Gulutzan said.Do we get away from that at times, certainly we do. But, were coming together and learning how to play and learning how to reduce the goals against. ' ' '