Red Sox at Orioles
With two members of their starting rotation sidelined by injury, the Boston Red Sox need left-hander Chris Sale to pitch like the ace that they signed to a $145 million contract extension in March. Sale finally earned his first victory of the season in his last trip to the mound and will look to extend visiting Boston's domination of the Baltimore Orioles in Wednesday night's series finale.
The Red Sox rebounded from a 4-1 defeat by hitting three home runs in Tuesday's 8-5 victory to improve to 7-2 in their last nine games and move within one win of reaching the .500 mark for the first time since they were 1-1. J.D. Martinez and Mitch Moreland each homered and had three RBIs as Boston won for the 14th time in its last 16 games at Camden Yards. Rio Ruiz is 3-for-8 in the series after ending a 16-game homerless drought with a two-run shot for Baltimore, which has dropped 11 of its last 16. Andrew Cashner, who is unbeaten over his last six starts, vies for his second win over the Red Sox this season when he opposes Sale.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Chris Sale (1-5, 5.25 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (4-1, 4.71)
Sale earned his first regular-season victory since Aug. 12 with an overpowering performance at the Chicago White Sox on Friday, striking out 10 batters in six scoreless innings of three-hit ball. It marked the second time in three starts that he recorded 10 strikeouts -- a span in which he lowered his ERA by more than three full runs. Sale was dominant in four starts against the Orioles in 2018, going 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA while striking out 37 in 20 2/3 innings, but he must be wary of Trey Mancini, who is 7-for-19 with three extra-base hits.
Cashner had his shortest outing since his season debut last time out, lasting four innings and giving up five runs (four earned) while striking out a season-high eight in a no-decision at the White Sox. He was 4-0 over his previous five turns, including seven innings of one-run ball to beat the White Sox on April 23 and five innings of three-run ball in a win at Boston on April 13. Xander Bogaerts, who went deep Tuesday, is 3-for-8 with a homer and four RBIs off Cashner, who owns a 2-1 record and 4.24 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox C Christian Vázquez had his second straight multi-hit game and is 8-for-15 on the road trip.
2. Orioles OF Dwight Smith Jr. is 11-for-28 over the past seven games.
3. Martinez ended a 15-game home run drought to reach 200 for his career.