Red Sox at Orioles
The Boston Red Sox came into the weekend playing well and making up some ground in the American League East, but the Baltimore Orioles are having little trouble sending them back down the standings. The Orioles will try to clinch the series win when they host the Red Sox in the third of the four-game set on Saturday.
Boston won eight of 10 before coming into Baltimore and watching solid starting pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello struggle to keep the ball in the park. The Orioles bashed four home runs off Rodriguez in the 7-5 triumph on Thursday and added two more off Porcello to steal Friday's contest 3-2 and move past the Red Sox into second place in the American League East behind the New York Yankees. Boston will try to get a better effort on Saturday out of another former Cy Young Award winner, David Price, who will be making his second start of the season while going up against Baltimore ace Dylan Bundy. Bundy is hoping for continued support from second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who is 3-for-8 with a home run and three RBIs in the series but just 4-for-20 in his career against Price.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH David Price (0-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.89)
Price began the season on the disabled list after suffering an elbow strain in spring training and returned at the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The Vanderbilt product allowed three runs on two hits - one homer - and two walks in five innings while striking out four but did not factor in the decision. Price went 3-1 with a 3.71 ERA in five starts against Baltimore last season and is 11-5 with a 2.88 ERA versus the Orioles in his career.
Bundy snapped a four-start winless streak by holding the Yankees to two runs on seven hits over seven innings on Monday in a 3-2 final. The 24-year-old surrendered two or fewer earned runs in eight of his 11 starts but yielded at least one home run in each of the last four turns. Bundy is already making his fourth start against Boston this season and went 2-1 in the first three, including seven scoreless innings in the lone home start on April 21.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox placed Rodriguez on the 10-day DL with a knee injury on Friday and recalled RHP Brandon Workman.
2. Orioles 3B Manny Machado is 3-for-8 with one strikeout in the series after striking out 10 times while going 0-for-18 in his previous four games.
3. Boston rookie LF Andrew Benintendi is 1-for-23 over his last seven games.