Boston at Baltimore - Apr 24^th 2015 7:05 PM ^ET Preview

Boston and Baltimore battled to a draw in a four-game series at Fenway Park last weekend and will fight again for American League East bragging rights when the Orioles host the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game set on Friday. Baltimore won on Saturday and Sunday in Boston but has dropped four games since, including the finale of that series on Monday.

The Orioles allowed a total of 31 runs in the last four games and fell behind 7-0 in the series finale at Toronto on Thursday before coming back with four runs in the ninth inning in the 7-6 setback. The one positive that came out of the three-game sweep at the Blue Jays came from Manny Machado, who went 5-for-10 with six RBIs in the series and hit his second and third home runs of the season on Thursday. The Red Sox are not playing their best baseball of the young season, either, and suffered their first series loss when they dropped a 2-1 walk-off decision at Tampa Bay on Thursday. Boston is 2-4 over the last six games after starting 7-3.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (1-2, 6.63 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (2-1, 2.55)

Porcello got off to a solid start in his Boston tenure and was coming off back-to-back quality starts before running into Baltimore on Sunday. The Orioles knocked the New Jersey native around for eight runs on 12 hits -- two home runs – and three walks in five innings. Porcello has had some trouble keeping the ball in the park in the early going with five homers allowed in three turns.

Gonzalez was on the other side in that Sunday meeting and picked up the win while yielding three runs on five hits and four walks in five innings. The Mexico native struck out five and has piled up 20 k’s in 17 2/3 total innings. Gonzalez has been tough on Boston in his career, owning a 5-1 record with a 2.81 ERA in nine games – seven starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox have averaged three runs in the last six games after putting up 5.9 in the first 10.

2. Baltimore RF Steve Pearce went 0-for-7 in the three games in Toronto to drop his average to .149.

3. Boston RF Shane Victorino (hamstring) sat out Thursday and is day-to-day.