Red Sox at Padres
Brock Holt is enjoying quite a week for the Boston Red Sox, who aim for a sweep of their three-game series against the host San Diego Padres on Sunday. The versatile Holt belted a go-ahead homer off All-Star closer Kirby Yates in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 5-4 victory, just days after delivering a walk-off single in Thursday’s 10-inning win over Kansas City.
Mookie Betts, Christian Vazquez and Mitch Moreland recorded two hits apiece in Saturday’s triumph as Boston won for the seventh time in nine games and clinched its first interleague series victory of the season. The Red Sox are six games back in the race for the second American League wild-card spot after Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless ninth inning on Saturday for his eighth save. San Diego has lost four in a row and would like to see more consistency from Hunter Renfroe, who has belted a career-high 31 homers but has gone just 4-for-33 over his last 10 games. Rookie Luis Urias struggled last month but went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Saturday’s loss and has registered 11 hits in his last 35 at-bats.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Brian Johnson (1-2, 6.58 ERA) vs. Padres LH Joey Lucchesi (8-7, 4.20)
Johnson is starting in place of David Price, who had hoped to return this weekend but remains sidelined due to a sore wrist. The 28-year-old Johnson took the loss against Philadelphia on Tuesday after allowing three runs and six hits over 3 2/3 innings. Johnson is making his first appearance against San Diego but is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in eight career interleague games (five starts).
Lucchesi ended a lengthy slump with a strong outing against Philadelphia last Sunday, allowing two runs and three hits over six innings in a 3-2 victory. The 26-year-old Californian took an encouraging step forward against the Phillies after going 0-3 with a 6.15 ERA in his first six starts after the All-Star break. Lucchesi is facing Boston for the first time but owns a 2-2 record with a 4.24 ERA in seven career interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox have won seven of their last eight meetings with San Diego.
2. The Padres optioned RHP Eric Yardley to Triple-A El Paso and recalled C Austin Allen from the Chihuahuas.
3. Boston has homered in each of its last 15 games, the team's longest such streak of the season.