Red Sox at Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are losers of five straight games and the pitching staff is shouldering much of the blame. The Orioles will look for a better effort from their staff when they host the Boston Red Sox in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Baltimore is allowing an average of 7.6 runs during its losing streak and dropped the opener of the series with the Red Sox 7-5 on Friday as Boston pounded out 11 hits, including three home runs. The offensive explosion comes on the heels of a series loss in Tampa Bay during which the Red Sox totaled seven runs in the three games. Boston manager John Farrell inserted utility man Brock Holt into the lineup at shortstop in the opener and was rewarded with a go-ahead, three-run blast in the eighth inning. David Ortiz also snapped out of a slump with a home run among two hits.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Justin Masterson (2-0, 5.74 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (0-1, 3.07)
Masterson recovered from a disastrous turn on April 14 by holding the Orioles in check in a win on Monday. The sinkerball specialist surrendered one run on three hits and three walks over five innings in a rain-shortened contest. Masterson has not fared very well in Baltimore in his career, posting a 2-4 record with a 7.71 ERA in nine games – seven starts.
Chen went up against Masterson on Monday and suffered the loss while being let down by his defense. The Taiwanese hurler was charged with five unearned runs due to three errors – one his own – while issuing five walks in 4 1/3 frames. Chen’s best start of the young season was his lone turn at home, when he held the New York Yankees to two runs in six innings on April 13.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ortiz is 8-for-23 with a home run and six RBIs in his career against Chen.
2. Baltimore OF Delmon Young recorded multiple hits in five of his last seven games.
3. Boston RHP Koji Uehara has yet to allow a run in four appearances.