Pirates at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox and the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates will both try to bounce back from lopsided losses when they meet Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park in the makeup game from a rainout last week. The Pirates, who managed three runs in 21 innings over two losses at Boston in the season-opening series earlier this month, were throttled by Cincinnati 9-2 on Wednesday and swept by the Reds in three games by a 22-5 margin.
The visit to Fenway kicks off a seven-game road trip that also takes Pittsburgh to Wrigley Field and Busch Stadium. The Red Sox have lost four of six since their two-game sweep of Pittsburgh and they had little chance after falling behind 9-0 in the third inning against Baltimore on Wednesday. Xander Bogaerts had three hits and two RBIs and Pablo Sandoval went deep in an eventual 12-5 loss - Boston's first in four games at Fenway this year. Catcher Sandy Leon was 5-for-8 against Pittsburgh last week and hammered the game-winning three-run homer in the 12th inning of a 3-0 triumph on April 5.
TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Pittsburgh), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Chad Kuhl (1-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 7.20)
Kuhl worked around a career-high six walks in picking up a win over Atlanta on Saturday, limiting the Braves to two earned runs while striking out five. The uneven outing left the 24-year-old with a 6.44 ERA in seven career home starts, but he is 3-1 with a 2.72 mark in eight outings on the road. Kuhl has never faced the Red Sox and has made just one interleague start, allowing two runs in six innings against Oakland last year.
Rodriguez also had issues finding the strike zone in his first start, as he walked three and threw just 41 of his 80 pitches for strikes while allowing four runs in five innings of a loss at Detroit. The 24-year-old has a 4.77 ERA in 21 career starts at Fenway Park. He owns a 6.61 mark in three games against National League teams, allowing 25 hits in 16 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts is 3-for-20 on the season but has three walks and zero strikeouts.
2. The Pirates were hitless in 24 at-bats with runners in scoring position in the three straight losses to the Reds.
3. Pittsburgh is beginning a stretch in which it plays four straight day games.