Indians at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox got the bullpen piece they needed at the trade deadline on Monday but watched the rival New York Yankees swing the biggest deal in the American League by nabbing right-hander Sonny Gray from the Oakland Athletics. The Red Sox, who sit a half-game behind the Yankees in the AL East, will try to make up some ground at the expense of another division leader when they host the Cleveland Indians in the second of a three-game set on Tuesday.
Boston picked up reliever Addison Reed from the New York Mets prior to Monday's deadline, but the biggest boost of the day came from an offense that had been struggling to score runs while the team dropped six of eight. That offense came alive for five runs in the first four innings en route to a 6-2 victory in Monday's opener as Eduardo Nunez, who was acquired in a trade last week, continued to make himself at home with three hits and two RBIs. The Indians are suddenly losers of two in a row following a nine-game winning streak and managed three runs in the two setbacks. Cleveland, which sits two games ahead of the Kansas City Royals in the Central, will try to bounce back on Tuesday behind Carlos Carrasco while the Red Sox counter with ace Chris Sale.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, STO (Cleveland), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (10-4, 3.58 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (13-4, 2.37)
Carrasco delivered a quality start in four of his five July outings and is coming off a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday in which he allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. The Venezuela native notched five strikeouts in that turn and totaled 39 in 32 2/3 innings in July. Carrasco is seeing the Red Sox for the first time in 2017 and is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in five career appearances - three starts - against them.
Sale is well on his way to the AL Cy Young Award and has not allowed a run in three starts since the All-Star break. The Florida native struck out 11 while yielding three hits in seven scoreless innings at Seattle on Wednesday and owns 33 strikeouts and 10 hits allowed in 20 2/3 innings since the break. Sale has plenty of experience against Cleveland from his time with the Chicago White Sox and is 5-7 with a 4.07 ERA in 27 career appearances - 16 starts - versus the Indians.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) sat out his third straight game on Monday and remains day-to-day.
2. The Indians placed RHP Josh Tomlin (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list and scheduled him for an MRI on Tuesday.
3. Cleveland acquired RHP Joe Smith from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.