Rockies at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox had the best offense in baseball while they were cruising to the best record and a World Series title in 2018, and the bats are starting to catch up to that pace again in 2019. The Red Sox will try to bash their way to a sixth consecutive victory when they host the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a two-game interleague series Tuesday.
Boston totaled 34 runs in a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners over the weekend that pushed the team three games over .500, capped by an 11-2 triumph on Sunday that saw J.D. Martinez belt a pair of home runs and rookie Michael Chavis drive in five runs. "I think the at-bats are a lot better," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters. "We're controlling the strike zone. We're staying in the middle of the field. We're not rolling over too much lately. A lot of hits to the right side and up the middle. That's important. ... It's just a lot of quality at-bats from top to bottom." The Rockies are thriving on offense as well and reached double figures in runs for the third time in four games when Charlie Blackmon's two homers led the way in a 10-7 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. Blackmon will face a stiff challenge Tuesday from surging Boston ace Chris Sale while the Rockies counter with lefty Kyle Freeland.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies LH Kyle Freeland (2-5, 5.84 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (1-5, 4.50)
Freeland is having some trouble keeping the ball in the yard of late and surrendered a total of six home runs in 17 innings over his last three starts. The 25-year-old was reached for five runs - three earned - on four hits and four walks against San Francisco on Thursday but escaped without a decision. Freeland is making his first career start against Boston and is 6-1 with a 1.95 ERA in nine career interleague outings.
Sale enjoyed his longest start of the season Wednesday, when he scattered three hits and one run over eight innings while striking out 14 without walking a batter against Baltimore. The Florida native got off to a terrible start in 2019 but surrendered a total of one run and six hits over 14 innings while posting 24 strikeouts and one walk in his last two turns. Sale made two scoreless relief appearances against Colorado earlier in his career and is 6-6 with a 3.07 ERA in 28 interleague games - 20 starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) was scratched from a rehab start Saturday with soreness and got a second day off when Double-A Portland was rained out Sunday.
2. Blackmon hit safely in each of the last 10 games and scored at least one run - 15 total - in each of those 10 contests.
3. Boston LHP David Price (elbow) threw a bullpen session Sunday and is a candidate to start Wednesday, though the weekend against Houston is more likely.