Red Sox at Indians
The Boston Red Sox just battled their way through one tough series with a playoff contender and get set for another when they visit the Cleveland Indians on Monday for the opener of their four-game series. The American League East-leading Red Sox are winners of 14 of their last 17 games while the Indians, who sit atop the AL Central, enter the week with wins in eight of their last 10 contests.
Cleveland just finished an 11-game road trip that included a brief stop in Boston last Monday for a make-up contest, which the Indians won 7-3. Both Cleveland and the Red Sox have used their recent runs of strong play to open five-game advantages in their respective divisions, and Boston is coming off another series win against its closest competitor and fiercest rival - the New York Yankees. The Indians missed a chance to complete a sweep of Kansas City and push their division lead over Minnesota to six games with a 7-4 loss, which ended a string of 12 straight contests in which their pitching staff allowed four runs or fewer. Cleveland will try to begin another such streak on Monday behind Mike Clevinger, while the Red Sox counter with Eduardo Rodriguez.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 3.97 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (6-5, 3.75)
Rodriguez labored through one bad inning against St. Louis on Wednesday and ended up allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in 5 1/3 frames without factoring in the decision. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has not recorded an out in the seventh inning in any of his last eight starts and threw 98 pitches against the Cardinals before being replaced. Rodriguez is 3-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 10 games - nine starts - on the road and is facing Cleveland for the first time since 2015.
Clevinger made two of his last three appearances out of the bullpen, including a 2 2/3-inning stint at Minnesota on Thursday in which he was reached for two runs on three hits and three walks. The 26-year-old Floridian struck out nine while breezing through seven scoreless frames in his last start on Aug. 12 at Tampa Bay. Clevinger was not quite as sharp at Boston on July 31, when he was ripped for five runs on seven hits and four walks in three innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians RHP Corey Kluber (ankle) threw a bullpen session on Sunday and is penciled in to make his scheduled start on Wednesday.
2. Boston CF Jackie Bradley Jr. has driven in six runs in his last three games.
3. Cleveland OF Jay Bruce has hit safely in each of his last 10 contests and is batting .375 since being acquired from the New York Mets on Aug. 9.