Rays at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a stretch of 22 straight games against American League East opponents and are not having much success. The Red Sox will try to turn things around when they host the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
Boston was swept at home by the rival New York Yankees over the weekend and is 6-10 so far in the stretch against its division, including dropping two of three in Tampa Bay from Apr. 21-23. Pitching has been the issue during most of that stretch for the Red Sox, but the bats disappeared over the weekend as well while totaling four runs in the first two games against the Yankees and managing to score in only one inning during Sunday’s 8-5 setback. The Rays held Boston to a total of seven runs in the three games last month but are having their own troubles hitting the ball of late. Tampa Bay has managed three or fewer runs in each of its last six contests, going 2-4 in that span.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 2.41 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.76)
Odorizzi has not earned a win in any of his last three starts and is coming off his worst outing of the season. The 25-year-old was reached for four runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings at New York on Tuesday. Odorizzi went up against Boston on April 23 and surrendered one run and three hits over 6 2/3 frames without factoring in the decision.
Buchholz went up against Odorizzi on April 23 and held Tampa Bay to one run and two hits while striking out 10 in six innings but was left out of the decision. The Texas native could not follow that up with another strong effort and was rocked for five runs (four earned) on six hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings against Toronto on Tuesday. Buchholz is 8-6 with a 2.40 ERA in 19 career starts against the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox claimed INF Luis Jimenez off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers and are expected to add him to the active roster on Monday.
2. Tampa Bay rookie manager Kevin Cash is 0-for-10 in replay challenges.
3. Boston OF Daniel Nava is 0-for-16 in his last six games to drop his batting average to .146.