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(Sports Network) - After finally obtaining their first victory of 2008, the Detroit Tigers will now strive for their first series win of the young season when they battle the Boston Red Sox tonight in a matchup of teams off to disappointing starts.

Detroit put its season-opening seven-game losing streak to an end with Wednesday's 7-2 triumph over the Red Sox in the middle test of this three-game series. Marcus Thames gave the Tigers a 4-2 edge with a two-run homer in the third inning, and Jeremy Bonderman and four Detroit relievers made the lead stand the rest of the way.

Thames' blast followed a two-run double from Edgar Renteria, who finished 3- for-4 with two runs scored in the win. Brandon Inge added a two-RBI single later in the contest and Carlos Guillen delivered a solo homer while crossing the plate three times.

Bonderman (1-1) held Boston to two runs -- one earned -- on five hits in five- plus innings of work. The right-hander outdueled Red Sox youngster Jon Lester (1-2), who surrendered four runs and walked four over 5 1/3 frames to suffer the loss.

Boston has now lost four of its last five games and slugger David Ortiz continues his early-year struggles at the plate. The feared designated hitter went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and is batting .091 (3-for-33) with just one extra- base hit through the club's first nine outings.

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell also left last night's game after spraining his thumb when fielding a ground ball in the first inning. The 2007 World Series MVP is not expected to be in the lineup this evening.

The Tigers will take their swings tonight against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who began his 16th season in the majors with a solid performance against Toronto last Friday. The battle-tested veteran shut the Blue Jays out over his first five innings of work, but surrendered three runs in the sixth and wound up with a no decision in an eventual 6-3 Boston loss.

Wakefield tied a career high with 17 victories in 2007 and was 10-4 in 15 Fenway Park starts last year, although he produced a lackluster 5.27 earned run average at home.

The 41-year-old has taken on the Tigers 32 times previously (20 starts) and is 13-10 with a 4.50 ERA lifetime against Detroit.

Nate Robertson seeks an upgrade of his first 2008 outing when he takes the mound for the Tigers in tonight's finale. The left-hander struggled with his command in a matchup with the Chicago White Sox on Friday and surrendered five runs on seven hits in a five-inning no decision.

Robertson has not historically fared well when pitching at Fenway Park, where the 30-year-old is 1-2 with an ugly 7.56 ERA in three career starts. He is 2-3 with a 6.42 ERA in seven overall games against the Red Sox, but did split a pair of decisions in his two encounters with Boston last year.

Detroit has won four of its five most recent encounters with the Red Sox dating back to last season, but is just 2-5 in its last seven visits to Fenway.