The Red Sox will look for a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles when they battle them on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. Follow along for live coverage from Sunday’s matchup:
WHO: Red Sox (68-51) vs. Baltimore Orioles (38-77)
WHEN: 1:10 p.m
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 8-4 (7-1 at Fenway)
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6, 5.24) vs. LHP Keegan Akin (0-6, 8.23)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez 2B
Renfroe RF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Martinez LF
Schwarber DH
Dalbec 1B
Verdugo CF
Vazquez C
ORIOLES
Mullins CF
Hays RF
Mancini 1B
Santander DH
Urias 2B
Severino C
McKenna LF
Franco 3B
Mateo SS
IN-GAME NOTES:
Top 7th: A scary sight as a line drive comes back and hits Ottavino. He comes out of the game.
BOT 6th: A fantastic diving catch from McKenna prevents Boston from fully breaking the game open, but Boston adds three more runs off a single from Kiké, a bases-loaded walk from Renfroe and an RBI groundout from Bogaerts.
TOP 6th: An efficient inning for Rodriguez - who sets down the O's on 12 pitches.
5th: 1-2-3 innings all around for the O's and Sox in the fifth.
BOT 4th: Vazquez gets on base with a single to CF, but Boston can't do much after that. Still 3-1.
TOP 4th: Rodriguez hasn't exactly been sharp - but after another leadoff walk, he gets through the inning in short order. Orioles aren't necessarily making it hard on him.
BOT 3rd: Boston misses a prime chance to blow the game open with the bases loaded and one out. Schwarber with a shallow fly out to RF, and Dalbec strikes out to close out the inning.
BOT 2nd: Verdugo continues his hot streak with an infield single, but the Sox can't do much with him on base. Still a 3-1 game.
TOP 2nd: A leadoff walk for E-Rod, but he bounces back by getting Franco to ground into a double play.
BOT 1st: Well, that O's lead didn't last very long. Martinez blasts one into the Monster, and the Sox lead, 3-1. This O's pitching staff is baaaad.
TOP 1st: Rodriguez strikes out the side, but Baltimore still gets on the board after a walk and two singles (coupled with an error on a relay attempt.) 1-0 Baltimore.
NOTES:
The Red Sox will be looking for their first series sweep (3+ games) of an opponent since June 28-July 1 (vs. KC Royals) when they take on the Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
The Orioles have lost 10 straight games and have been outscored, 98-32, during that stretch.
After posting a +29 run differential through 115 games, the Sox have a +26 run differential in their last 4 games (45-19). The Red Sox have scored 8+ runs in 4 of their last 6 games, after they scored 5 runs or fewer in each of their previous 15 games...In their last 6 games, the Sox are batting .336 with 11 HR and a 1.010 OPS.
In their last 4 games, the Red Sox are 23-for-49 (.469) with runners in scoring position.
The Red Sox have won each of Eduardo Rodriguez’s last 9 starts against the Orioles...Since the start of 2018, he is 8-0 with a 1.99 ERA in 11 games (9 starts) vs. BAL (58.2 IP, 13 ER, 11 BB, 57 SO).
In their last 8 games, Red Sox starters have allowed 13 ER in 43.0 IP (2.72 ERA), striking out 55 batters and walking only 8.
Kyle Schwarber will be back in the lineup and batting sixth. He will DH, while J.D. Martinez will play left field.
Bobby Dalbec will look to stay locked in at the plate. He’s batting .407 so far in August with three homers, one triple, two doubles and 12 RBIs in 11 games.