Athletics at Red Sox
Every time it looks like the defending champions are about to turn a corner and get back to being the team that breezed through the regular season in 2018, the Boston Red Sox take a big step back. The Red Sox will try to avoid a third consecutive setback when they host the Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
The Red Sox swept a three-game set at Tampa Bay before beginning their 10-game homestand but are having a hard time maintaining any sort of momentum in Fenway Park and totaled three runs while dropping back-to-back contests to the Rays over the weekend. "I think if you take a look around this room, you see obviously the names on the stickers and numbers on the back," Boston ace Chris Sale, who fell to 0-5 on Sunday, told reporters. "We've got the guys to do it. It's basically the same team that won a World Series. We're not losing confidence. We're not taking back from the effort. We're not hanging our heads. We're not pointing fingers. That's not who we are. That's not how we got where we are." The Athletics got off to a tough start on their nine-game road trip with three straight setbacks at Toronto, including a 5-4 loss in 11 innings on Sunday. Oakland, which took two of three from the Red Sox at home earlier this month, will send right-hander Frankie Montas to the mound on Monday opposite Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, NBCS California (Oakland), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Frankie Montas (4-1, 3.10 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (2-2, 5.88)
Montas got plenty of help from his offense and earned a win over Texas on Tuesday while allowing three runs on a season-high nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old Dominican surrendered a total of four runs and six hits in 12 1/3 innings while winning his previous two starts. Montas made a pair of relief appearances against Boston in 2017 and struck out six while scattering three hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Rodriguez turned in his best effort of the young season against Detroit on Wednesday, when he allowed one run and two hits in six innings while striking out seven. The 26-year-old Venezuelan surrendered three or fewer earned runs in each of his last three turns after getting rocked for a total of 11 earned runs in his first two outings. One of those poor starts came at Oakland on April 4, when Rodriguez was knocked around for six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) is expected to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday.
2. The Athletics on Sunday traded LHP Jerry Blevins to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations or a player to be named later.
3. Oakland RHP Lou Trivino (thumb) threw off a mound on Sunday and could return during the series at Boston.