Red Sox at Rays
The Boston Red Sox were showing off their offense at the beginning of last week and are leaning on their pitching staff of late, with the two pieces combining to lead the team to seven straight wins. The Red Sox will try to make it eight in a row when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays for the finale of a two-game series on Wednesday.
All Boston needed on offense was one run on Tuesday as ace Chris Sale and All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel took care of the rest in the 2-0 win, but the source of that small amount of offense is becoming very familiar. The two newest faces in the lineup belong to rookie Rafael Devers, who drove in the game's first run on Tuesday, and utilityman Eduardo Nunez, who collected three more hits to raise his average to .422 in 10 games with the team. The Rays are losers of three of their last four and were shut out in each of those three losses, pushing them 6 1/2 games behind first-place Boston in the American League East. The Red Sox, who lead the New York Yankees by four games in the division, will try to keep that Tampa Bay offense down with right-hander Rick Porcello while Rays righty Jake Odorizzi tries to solve Nunez and Devers on Wednesday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, NESN (Boston), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (5-14, 4.70 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (6-4, 4.47)
Porcello did not have his best stuff last time out but got enough help from his offense to snap a six-start winless streak. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner surrendered five runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, failing to go at least six innings for just the second time in 23 starts this season. Porcello enjoyed one of his best starts at Tampa Bay on July 8, when he yielded one run and six hits in eight innings but still suffered the loss in a 1-0 final.
Odorizzi spent the last two weeks on the disabled list due to a lower back strain and is hoping to find the form he showed in the start before he felt the injury. The 27-year-old yielded one run and one hit in seven innings at Oakland on July 17 before exiting after four frames against Texas on July 23 and hitting the DL. Odorizzi was not sharp against Boston on July 7, when he was lit up for seven runs on eight hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) came off the DL and served as DH on Tuesday but is expected to return to the field Wednesday.
2. The Rays placed RHP Alex Cobb (turf toe) on the 10-day DL.
3. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 3-for-22 over the last six games.