Rays at Red Sox
Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale will hope for a little more run support when he makes his third start for his new team Saturday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Sale has been exceptional in his first two outings for the Red Sox, but they didn't score until the 12th inning in his team debut and were limited to a run in his second appearance Monday at Detroit.
Boston's offense showed some signs of life with a ninth-inning rally in Friday's series opener, but it was too little, too late, as the Rays picked up the 10-5 win. Brad Miller belted his first homer and first triple of the year while Logan Morrison homered and drove in four runs as Tampa Bay snapped a three-game slide. Boston's bright spot came in the form of a breakout game for right fielder Mookie Betts, who was 4-for-23 on the season before going 4-for-5 with an RBI in the loss. He is 6-for-20 with five walks against Tampa Bay's Saturday starter Jake Odorizzi, and Dustin Pedroia is 10-for-26 with a pair of home runs.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (0-1, 1.23)
Odorizzi limited the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs on two hits in six innings to pick up his first win Sunday. Seven of the nine hits he has allowed have gone for extra bases, including three home runs. The former first-round pick is 1-3 with a 6.08 ERA in eight career starts at Fenway Park.
Sale has yielded eight hits in 14 2/3 innings while recording 17 strikeouts through the first two starts. He is 48-19 with a 2.70 ERA in his career before the All-Star break and owns a 2.76 mark all-time at Fenway. Evan Longoria is 1-for-21 with eight strikeouts against Sale.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rays recalled OF Shane Peterson from Triple-A Durham prior to Friday's game and he homered while driving in three runs.
2. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts is 8-for-13 over his last three games.
3. Tampa Bay starters own a 3.38 ERA.