Rays at Red Sox
A pair of aces will square off on the mound Friday night when the Boston Red Sox open a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Reigning Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello will toe the rubber for the Red Sox as he pursues his 10th win in 11 decisions dating to last season, while Chris Archer gets the nod for the Rays.
Archer was 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA in five starts against Boston last year but he has opened what he hopes to be a bounce-back campaign with back-to-back solid starts. The Red Sox won 10 of the final 13 meetings with Tampa Bay last year and they enter the first matchup of 2017 on a high note after a comeback 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Xander Bogaerts' RBI single capped a three-run rally in the eighth inning as Boston improved to 4-1 at Fenway Park. The Rays opened the season with a 5-2 homestand before dropping three straight at Yankee Stadium, including Thursday's 3-2 setback.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (1-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (1-0, 4.38)
Archer allowed two runs and struck out eight in 7 2/3 innings to help Tampa Bay defeat Toronto his last time out, throwing 114 pitches. Opponents are hitting .222 against him and right-handed batters have a measly .492 OPS through the first two starts. Mookie Betts is 8-for-23 with two homers and seven walks versus Archer, who is 1-11 lifetime against Boston and has a 7.30 ERA in five Fenway Park starts.
Porcello gave up four runs (three earned) and 11 hits in six frames of a no-decision at Detroit last Sunday. The 28-year-old went 5-0 with a 3.07 ERA in six starts against Tampa Bay last year and has a 3.03 mark in 17 career matchups. Porcello will be mindful of Corey Dickerson (7-for-19, one homer against him) and Logan Morrison (8-for-22) as he looks to improve upon a 21-9 career mark at Fenway.
WALK-OFFS
1. Betts is batting .174 but has yet to have a strikeout in 23 at-bats.
2. Dickerson recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the year with a 2-for-4 showing at New York on Thursday.
3. Red Sox RHP Craig Kimbrel has recorded 19 straight saves at Fenway, tied with Jeff Russell (1990-93) for the third-longest run in team history.