Red Sox at Tigers
The Boston Red Sox can only wonder what might have been if it were not for a bullpen that leads the American League with 18 blown saves. The defending World Series champions overcome the latest foible by the bullpen and will try to enter the All-Star break on a high note when they visit the Detroit Tigers on Friday night in the opener of a three-game set.
Michael Chavis clubbed a three-run homer to help the Red Sox erase a five-run deficit before Marco Hernandez delivered a pinch-hit blast in the ninth as Boston posted its 26th comeback win with Thursday's 8-7 win in Toronto. Rafael Devers is riding an eight-game hitting streak after going 7-for-12 with three homers and nine RBIs in the Toronto series for the Red Sox, who split a four-game set with Detroit in late April. The Tigers own the second-fewest home wins in baseball with 12 and have won just one of their last 10 games at Comerica Park. Nicholas Castellanos extended his hitting streak to 10 games and pushed his on-base streak to a major league-best 27 straight as Detroit averted a three-game sweep with an 11-5 victory at the Chicago White Sox on Thursday -- its third win in 18 games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (8-4, 4.79 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Ryan Carpenter (1-4, 8.82)
Rodriguez is coming off back-to-back no-decisions, giving up a pair of runs over 5 1/3 innings against the New York Yankees last time out and five runs in six innings versus the White Sox on June 24. However, the 26-year-old Venezuelan has won his last four starts away from home dating to May 26, allowing a combined eight runs over 25 2/3 innings. Rodriguez dominated the Tigers on April 24 with six innings of one-run ball and has limited Castellanos to one hit in 13 at-bats.
With the Tigers juggling their rotation for the series, Carpenter is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Toledo to make his eighth start of the season. He earned his lone victory with seven innings of two-run ball versus Tampa Bay on June 4 but was bludgeoned in subsequent starts against Minnesota and Cleveland, giving up 16 runs and 18 hits over 6 2/3 innings to earn a demotion to the minors. Carpenter did strike out 11 over six scoreless innings in his last start for Toledo.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers 1B/DH Miguel Cabrera needs three homers to Carlos Delgado (473) for 33rd on the all-time list.
2. Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez is 14-for-30 during a seven-game hitting streak.
3. Detroit placed OF JaCoby Jones (back spasms) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.