Red Sox at Orioles
The Boston Red Sox are pounding the ball in bunches of late to complement a couple of solid turns around the rotation. The Red Sox will be looking to reach .500 for the first time since March 29 and earn a seventh win in eight games when they visit the Baltimore Orioles for the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
Boston exploded for nine runs in the third inning in Saturday's 15-2 triumph over the Chicago White Sox and waited a little longer to bust out the big rally on Sunday before pushing across seven runs in the eighth to cap a 9-2 victory. Xander Bogaerts homered in each of those rallies and is headlining an offense that averaged 7.9 runs over the last seven games. That offense will be going up against a Baltimore pitching staff that leads the majors in runs (207) and home runs allowed (75) but will be much better rested after Dylan Bundy turned in a stellar start in a 3-0 win on Saturday and Sunday's finale against the Tampa Bay Rays was rained out. Left-hander John Means was pushed back from Sunday and will take the ball in Monday's opener while the Red Sox are likely to begin a bullpen day with righty Josh A. Smith.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Josh A. Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Orioles LH John Means (3-3, 2.81)
Boston will go with a bullpen day in the series opener, likely beginning with recently recalled Smith, who tossed a scoreless inning of relief in his season debut on Friday. Smith went 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in three starts for Triple-A Pawtucket while recording 23 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings. Right-hander Hector Velazquez, who has been getting the starts on bullpen days since Nathan Eovaldi (elbow) went on the injured list, could also come out of the bullpen early on Monday.
Means allowed one earned run in each of his first three starts but was roughed up for four runs on six hits - two homers - and a walk over five innings in a loss at the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The 26-year-old is 1-3 with a 3.50 ERA as a starter after beginning the season in long relief. Means came on in relief at Tampa Bay on April 18 and earned the win while striking out four over two hitless innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers is 6-for-15 with six runs scored over the last three games.
2. Baltimore RF Dwight Smith Jr. homered on Saturday and is 9-for-20 over the last five contests.
3. Boston won its last three games by a combined score of 30-5.