Red Sox at Orioles
The first week after the All-Star break did not provide the big jump in the standings for which the defending champions were hoping, and the biggest tests are still to come. The Boston Red Sox will try to string some wins together and find the consistency that the 2018 squad featured when they visit the last-place Baltimore Orioles for the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Boston still lags behind in the AL wild card race and is struggling to make up ground on the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East after coming out of the All-Star break and going 4-3 on a homestand against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox, who will play 14 straight against the Yankees and the Rays after leaving Baltimore, finished off the series against the Blue Jays with a 5-0 victory on Thursday. The Orioles already started selling by trading right-hander Andrew Cashner to Boston last weekend and will showcase the rest of their trade candidates as the rebuild continues, with closer Mychal Givens and outfielder Trey Mancini, who drove in three runs in Wednesday's 9-2 victory over Washington, the most coveted of the bunch. Baltimore will send All-Star left-hander John Means to the mound on Friday opposite Red Sox lefty David Price.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH David Price (7-2, 3.16 ERA) vs. Orioles LH John Means (7-5, 2.94)
Price needed a season-high 113 pitches to get through five innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday and was charged with four runs - one earned - on four hits and three walks without factoring in the decision. The Vanderbilt product issued a total of four walks in 24 2/3 innings in June but is at nine free passes in 16 frames this month. Price worked a season-high seven innings at home against Baltimore on April 14, scattering three hits without allowing a run in the win.
Means posted his worst outing of the season coming out of the break on Saturday, surrendering six runs on eight hits - three home runs - over six innings in a loss to Tampa Bay. The 26-year-old posted a 1.71 ERA in four starts last month while allowing one home run. Means enjoyed plenty of success in his first three starts of the season against Boston, going 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 14 hits - no home runs - allowed in 17 total frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles OF Dwight Smith is 0-for-28 over his last seven games.
2. Red Sox RHP Nathan Eovaldi struck out the side in a scoreless rehab appearance at Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday and could come off the injured list this
weekend.
3. Boston took seven of the first 10 meetings this season.