Athletics at Red Sox
After having their six-game win streak snapped Sunday in Chicago, the Red Sox return home to face Oakland for a three-game series starting Monday. Boston scored 20 runs in the first two games of its series with the White Sox, but just two in the last two games. It is unclear whether third baseman Kevin Youkilis will be back in the lineup; he was scratched Sunday with a tight lower left back and replaced by Nick Punto.
The A’s rank last in MLB in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage and are 29th in runs with 67, ahead of only the Pirates. They lost in heartbreaking fashion Sunday in Baltimore, giving up five runs in the bottom of the ninth. It was Grant Balfour’s second blown save in less than a week.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSNCA (Oakland), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Tommy Milone (3-1, 2.00 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (2-1, 8.87 ERA)
Milone's fastball only registers 87 mph, but the 25-year-old has been brilliant. He tossed eight shutout innings in his last outing against the White Sox, allowing three hits and no walks and fanning five. He carries a WHIP of 0.85 into Monday’s start.
Buchholz has given up at least five earned runs in all four of his starts, and opponents are hitting .340 against him. However, he was pleased that he was able to keep the ball down in his last start. Buchholz is 1-2 with a 7.84 ERA in five career starts against Oakland. Catcher Kurt Suzuki is 5-for-10 against Buchholz.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland SS Cliff Pennington is in a 1-for-19 slump that has dropped his average to .183.
2. Boston won the season series last year, 6-2.
3. Boston RF Ryan Sweeney, who is batting .373, had his nine-game hitting streak end Sunday in a 4-1 defeat.