Red Sox at Orioles
With the Game 7 loss by the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final, manager Alex Cora knows the city's attention is shifting to the Red Sox, telling reporters that "It's our stage." Although the Red Sox have been struggling, the reigning World Series champions play nine of their next 12 against teams with losing records, beginning with a three-game set at the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.
The Red Sox had dropped five of six to start their eight-game homestand before posting consecutive one-run victories over Texas, including a dramatic 7-6 win Thursday in which they hit five homers to erase an early five-run deficit. Xander Bogaerts clubbed a tiebreaking homer and Jackie Bradley Jr. extended his hitting streak to four games by going 2-for-4 with a three-run blast to raise his batting average above .200 for the first time since the season-opening series. The Orioles own the worst record in the majors after absorbing a 12-3 shellacking by Toronto on Thursday, marking the team's sixth consecutive defeat in a rubber game of a series. Baltimore fell to 9-25 at Camden Yards after its pitching staff was battered for 20 runs over the past two games by a Toronto team that had scored just eight times in its previous five contests.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (6-4, 5.00 ERA) vs. Orioles TBD
Rodriguez, who will be making his second start this season against Baltimore, will try to rebound from a loss against Tampa Bay on Sunday when he was charged with four runs and seven hits (two homers) in 5 2/3 innings. He was 6-1 in his previous 10 turns, a hot stretch that he began by beating the Orioles with 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball on April 12. Trey Mancini is 7-for-23 with a homer against Rodriguez, who owns a 7-5 record and 3.68 ERA in 16 appearances versus Baltimore.
Scheduled starter Andrew Cashner was scratched due to a blister on his right middle finger and the possibility of a bullpen game went out the window after too many arms were needed to finish up Thursday's loss, so manager Brandon Hyde will wait until Friday to name a spot starter. Dylan Bundy would be on regular rest but he threw an extended side session Thursday and will start Saturday's game against Chris Sale. The lack of options could necessitate calling up a pitcher from the minors.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers is 4-for-13 with a double, triple, homer and four RBIs in the last three games.
2. Orioles C Chance Sisco was 4-for-11 with a homer and four RBIs in the three-game set versus Toronto.
3. Red Sox 1B Steve Pearce (back) will begin a rehab assignment Friday at Class A Lowell.