Red Sox-Orioles Preview
The Baltimore Orioles were happy to complete a losing road trip with a series victory as they head home for a major challenge. They'll start a four-game series Monday against the Boston Red Sox in a matchup of the AL East's top two teams. Baltimore (28-20) went all the way across the country and back in a 4-5 trip that included stops in Anaheim, Houston and Cleveland. The Orioles won 6-4 over the Indians on Sunday to enter with some momentum. They'll need it because Boston (30-20) holds a one-game lead in the division and features AL batting leader Xander Bogaerts, who is at .351 with a .398 mark in a 22-game hitting streak that is the second longest in the majors this year to the 29-game one by teammate Jackie Bradley Jr. that was snapped last week. "It's no treat playing Boston but it's good going home," manager Buck Showalter said. "We've had some people being in some real unfriendly environments and it'll be a quick turnaround with another day game tomorrow." The Orioles will get a break if David Ortiz sits out a second straight game. The slugger was scratched from Sunday's 5-3, 11-inning victory at Toronto with a sore left foot after he was hit there by a pitch the day before. "I had him in the lineup originally but then, when he tried to run, it was not feeling good," manager John Farrell said. "Didn't want to push it. We're hopeful he'll be back in the lineup tomorrow." The Red Sox got an RBI double in the 11th inning from Dustin Pedroia to avoid a three-game sweep. The Blue Jays took the first two games of the series by scoring in their final at-bats. "On the heels of two really tough days up here I thought we battled back, took the lead, gave it up and kept coming," Farrell said. "I couldn't be more proud with the energy and effort." Pedroia is 10 for 24 with five doubles in his last six games, with four RBIs in his last two. He and the Red Sox will see Tyler Wilson (2-3, 3.80 ERA) for the second time after the Orioles starter worked three scoreless innings of relief against them in a 4-2 loss at Boston on April 13. Baltimore took two of three in that series - the first between these clubs. Wilson is 2-3 with a 4.41 ERA in six starts, yielding four runs in six innings of Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Houston. He also had two errors. The Red Sox will start knuckleballer Steven Wright (4-4, 2.52) after he gave up three runs in seven-plus innings of Wednesday's 10-3 rout of Colorado. Wright has a 1.73 ERA on the road. He has allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings of relief in two career appearances versus Baltimore. No Orioles hitter has more than three at-bats against him. Wright's batterymate will once again be Ryan Hanigan, who leads the majors with 13 passed balls. Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo went 6 for 12 with a homer, three doubles and five RBIs over the weekend while Manny Machado was 6 for 13 with three doubles. |