Red Sox at Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles managed to put the clamps on a red-hot Boston Red Sox offense that had scored 55 runs over its previous seven games, putting a halt to an embarrassing run by the defending world champions at their home park. The Orioles eye a third straight victory over their American League East rival on Tuesday when the teams continue their three-game set in Baltimore.
Boston marched into Camden Yards having won six of seven - which included outscoring the White Sox 30-5 over the final three games of their four-game set in Chicago over the weekend - and seemed likely to continue its surge against an Orioles' pitching staff that owned a majors-worst 5.74 ERA. John Means and two relievers flipped the script in Monday's opener, however, allowing only three hits and a fifth-inning sacrifice fly by Eduardo Nunez en route to a 4-1 victory. Baltimore's win was only its second in its last 13 home games versus Boston, which has already lost as many games to the Orioles in 2019 (2-3) as it did all of last season (16-3). The Orioles, who have still dropped 21 of their last 27 to their division rival, have won four of their last five at home since losing 10 of their first 11 in Baltimore.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Hector Velazquez (0-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. Orioles RH David Hess (1-4, 5.34)
Velazquez has shuffled between the rotation and bullpen all season long, although he will make his fifth start of the season Tuesday in place of the injured David Price. The 30-year-old has not worked more than 3 1/3 innings in any of his 10 appearances and is 0-2 with a 3.97 ERA in four turns so far. Trey Mancini (4-for-8, double) and Renato Nunez (2-for-4, double) have fared well versus Velazquez, who has yielded one run in four frames across two appearances (one starts) against the Orioles this seaosn.
Hess returns to the rotation after it had been announced he would move to the bullpen, hoping he can recapture the form he showed to open 2019. The Tennessee Tech product allowed only one hit over his first two appearances (one start) spanning his first 8 1/3 innings, but he is 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA in five outings since. Andrew Benintendi (3-for-8, three homers) and J.D. Martinez (2-for-5, two homers) have thrived in limited at-bats against Hess, who yielded three runs across 5 2/3 frames in a loss at Boston on April 12.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox OF Mookie Betts went 0-for-4 on Monday, ending his on-base streak at 28 games.
2. Baltimore 1B Chris Davis reached base three times in the opener and is batting .298 since ending his major-league record 0-for-54 slump in Boston on April 13.
3. Boston DH Rafael Devers went hitless in three at-bats Monday, snapping his career-high 19-game on-base streak.