Rays at Red Sox
Rick Porcello did his part to save the bullpen on Wednesday and set the Boston Red Sox up for a series win. The Red Sox will try to take the rubber match of the three-game series when they send David Price to the mound against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.
Boston’s bullpen was forced to log 9 1/3 innings in Tuesday’s 3-0 series-opening loss after starter Joe Kelly was pulled in the first inning with a shoulder injury. Porcello saved the relievers with seven solid innings and the Red Sox found their offense again in Wednesday’s 7-3 victory after totaling six runs during a three-game slide. The Rays are still searching for a consistent offensive attack and have scored three or fewer runs in 11 of their 14 games. Steven Souza Jr. (.256) was the only batter in the Tampa Bay lineup to finish Wednesday’s game with a batting average above .250.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 2.41 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (2-0, 4.50)
Odorizzi is still looking for his first win despite going seven scoreless innings while allowing four hits and striking out six against the Chicago White Sox last week. The 26-year-old struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings in his first start on April 5 and suffered his lone loss in his only road start at Baltimore on April 10. Odorizzi is 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA in eight career starts against Boston, including four quality starts in 2015.
Price is making his first start against his original franchise since moving to the former rival Red Sox in the offseason and is going for his second straight win against a former team. The No. 1 overall pick of the Rays in 2007, Price was traded to Detroit at the deadline in 2014 and moved to Toronto at last season’s deadline before landing a seven-year, $217 deal with Boston. Price struck out nine and allowed two runs in seven innings against Toronto to earn a win on Saturday and is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts was removed from Wednesday’s game with a tight left quad and is day-to-day.
2. Rays 1B Logan Morrison is 0-for-8 in the series and 2-for-40 on the season.
3. Kelly had an MRI on his right shoulder come back showing no structural damage, but there is no timetable for his return.