Tigers at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are coming off their first series sweep of the season after taking three at the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend and hope to carry that momentum home. The Red Sox begin a 10-game homestand by hosting the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a four-game series on Monday.
Boston's offense is still moving in fits and starts and needed 11 innings to squeeze out a 4-3 victory on Sunday, the second straight one-run victory and the third consecutive game in which the pitching staff squandered a lead while the offense failed to build on an advantage. The Red Sox are 13th in the American League in runs scored (93) and 14th in runs allowed (131), but reigning MVP Mookie Betts seems to be breaking out of an early slump after going 6-for-12 in the three games at Tampa Bay. The Tigers took two of three from the Chicago White Sox in a rain-shortened series over the weekend and escaped with a 4-3 victory on Sunday after nearly squandering a four-run advantage. The Tigers will send surging left-hander Matthew Boyd to the mound in the opener while Boston hopes for a turnaround from ace Chris Sale.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit Plus, NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (1-1, 2.96 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (0-4, 8.50)
Boyd turned in a quality start in each of his last three outings and limited the Pittsburgh Pirates to three runs on six hits in seven innings on Tuesday. The 28-year-old owns 36 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings while issuing seven walks and surrendering one home run. Boyd went 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in two starts against Boston last season, with the victory coming at Fenway Park.
Sale continues to get knocked around and was reached for four runs on seven hits over five innings at the New York Yankees on Tuesday. "I've gotta find a way to pitch better," Sale told reporters after the latest setback. "This is flat-out embarrassing for my family, for my team, for our fans. It's about as bad as it gets. I have to pitch better. ... Gotta cut it off when we're losing and keep the winning streaks going. That's not who I've been." Sale breezed through six scoreless innings in his lone start against Detroit last season, allowing two hits and striking out nine.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez has hit safely in 21 of the first 22 games, including the last 11.
2. Detroit 1B/OF Brandon Dixon went 2-for-3 in his season debut on Sunday.
3. Boston 1B Mitch Moreland homered in two of the last three games and leads the team with seven.