WHO: Red Sox (22-13) vs. Baltimore Orioles (13-19)
WHEN: 7:05 p.m.
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 3-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 6-3
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Martin Perez (0-2., 4.40) vs. RHP Jorge Lopez (1-3, 6.49)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM, 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Gonzalez 2B
Verdugo CF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Vazquez C
Renfroe RF
Cordero LF
Dalbec 1B
ORIOLES
Mullins CF
Hays LF
Mancini 1B
Mountcastle DH
Severino C
Galvis 2B
Franco 3B
Valaika 2B
McKenna RF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B8: With runners on the corners, the Red Sox bring the infield in, but Mancini foils the strategy, driving a single just to the right of second base, scoring Mullins. That's it for Andriese, Phillips Valdez on.
B8: What a bizarre play -- with the Sox shifting on Cedric Mullins, Xander Bogaerts has to run halfway across the infield to track down a shallow popup in left. He can't hold on and by the time he recovers, Mullins slides in safely with a leadoff "triple.''
B6: The move backfires four pitches in when Trey Mancini clubs a curveball out to center off Andriese.
B6: Strange call by Cora, lifting Martin Perez after just 74 pitches and five innings. Matt Andriese on.
T5: With a baserunner at third base and one out, Bobby Dalbec fails to drive home Renfroe from third, striking out.
T4: Sox pull even on a single by Martinez, a hit batsman (Xander Bogaerts), a wild pitch, and ultimately, a sacrifice fly from Rafael Devers.
T3: In sharp contrast to the long inning for Perez, Lopez sets down the Red Sox in order -- and needs just six pitches to get the three outs.
B2:Martin Perez ultimately gets out of trouble, allowing just the one run. But the Orioles make him him work, too, with 26 pitches necessary to complete the inning.
B2: Ryan Mountcastle jumps on a cutter out over the middle of the plate for a long blast to left.
T2: Jorge Lopez is challenging Red Sox hitters to hit his four-seamer -- hitting 97 mph -- and early in the game, they've been unable to do much with it. Sox have hit two balls very hard against him -- a two-out single by J.D. Martinez in the first inning and a hard lineout to short by Hunter Renfroe -- but both of those have come on off-speed pitches.
PRE-GAME STATS: The Red Sox own MLB’s best record at 22-13 (629)...Since getting swept by the Orioles in the first series of the year, they are 22-10 (.688) in games and 6-1-3 in series....The Sox have won five of their last six games, including each of their last four...The Sox are a season-high nine games above .500...Their +36 run differential is second in MLB....On the road, the Sox are an MLB-best 12-4 (.750)....They also have the fifth-best road ERA at 3.34....In the last six games, the Sox have scored 49 runs, averaging just over eight per game...They scored 11 ore more runs in three of those six and and at least five runs five times....The Red Sox lead the majors in runs (187), batting average (.267), slugging percentage (.445), OPS (.778), doubles (78), and extra-base hits (124)...The Sox have 16 HR in their last nine games...Xander Bogaerts has seven HR in his last 18 games, tied for most in the MLB in that time. Bogaerts leads MLB in hits (45) and ranks fifth in AVG (.349)...In May, he is 13-for-32 (.406) with three homers. Bogaerts leads MLB shortstops in batting average (.349), OBP (.396), slugging percentage (.589), OPS (.985), doubles (tied, 10), and extra-base hits (17)...No other SS has an OPS of at least .900...J.D. Martinez (31) and Rafael Devers (28) rank first and second in the majors in RBI...Martinez also leads the majors in total bases (82) and is tied for the lead in home runs (10) and runs (30)...He ranks 2nd in MLB in slugging (.651), OPS (1.075), and hits (tied, 42), and third in OBP (.425) and extra-base hits (20)....The Sox are 15-for-19 in stolen base attempts (78.9%)...Christian Vázquez (4-for-4) and Alex Verdugo (3-for-3) lead the club in steals....Hunter Renfroe leads the Red Sox with nine RBI in May. In 8 games this month, he is 11-for-35 (.314) with three HR....Marwin Gonzalez has hit safely in each of his last seven games, going 10-for-31 (.323) with four doubles. Christian Vázquez is 10-for-22 (.455) with 7 RBI during his six-game hitting streak. In his last three games, Bobby Dalbec is 4-for-12 with five RBI....The visiting team has won each of the last 10 meetings between the Red Sox and Orioles, including all nine this season...The have received five or more innings from their starters in 13 of the last 14 games...Sox starters have thrown five or more innings in 28 games, the third-most in the majors behind the Dodgers (30) and A''s (29)...Matt Barnes has recorded 11 perfect appearances of at least one inning...He has struck out 48.4% of batters faced this season (30 of 62) and has not allowed a run in his last seven outings (6.2 IP). Barnes is 8-for-8 in save opportunities...In those eight games, he has allowed 0 runs and held opponents to a .038 AVG (1-for-26) with 13 SO and one BB....Since taking over the closer role August, Barnes leads the AL with 17 saves, second-most in the majors behind Mark Melancon (18).
NOTES:
- Danny Santana (foot infection), who had been on a rehab assignment at High A Greenville, has joined Triple A Worcester and is going through the protocol and is expected to be eligible and available for Tuesday's home opener at Polar Park.
- Ryan Brasier (calf muscle) threw a bullpen in extended spring training Saturday and has begun a regular throwing program. It was a 25-pitch sessions, and according to Alex Cora "was pretty solid.''
- Tanner Houck is undergoing treatment as he deals with a sore flexor muscle in his right arm. "He's feeling better,'' said Cora. "We've just got to make sure he's where he's supposed to be. He's very important to this organization -- not only for this year, but for the future. When things like this happen, you've got to be smart about it and take your time. But as a whole, the training staff and everybody I've talked to, they feel very comfortable that this is just something short-term, so he'll be OK.''
- Fenway Park will allow 25 percent capacity starting Tuesday, which will double the amount of fans allowed in the ballpark from around 4,500 to 9,000. Cora expects that to be a factor for the home team. "It's going to feel different,'' said Cora. " To be honest with you: when we came from Texas (with crowds of 35,000) to (Fenway) to play the Tigers, I was worried the first inning. It felt like a spring training game with no fans. Nothing against the people who showed up, but it was that big of a difference. Looking forward to (more fans), obviously looking forward to a packed house, whenever that is. But to have more (Tuesday) is going to mean a lot to all of us.''
- With both Kike Hernandez and Christian Arroyo on the IL, Marwin Gonzalez is the team's leadoff hitter. "You see different type of hitters leading off, so it's not like it used to be,'' said Gonzalez. "I don't think any differently (about it). I just try to get on base and keep working.''