Rays at Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have used dominant pitching and extra-inning magic to put together baseball's longest winning streak at six games in a row. They will try to extend their run and continue the Tampa Bay Rays' six-game slide when the teams continue a three-game series at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon.
After winning in 13 innings against the Marlins at Miami on Tuesday, Boston opened its home schedule with a 12-inning triumph over the Rays on Thursday, as Hanley Ramirez delivered the decisive hit in both affairs to help his team overcome some lackluster offensive efforts. "We've been finding a way to do it," right fielder Mookie Betts told reporters following Thursday's 3-2 win, which also included a two-run rally in the ninth that sent the game into extra innings. "Haven't scored a whole lot of runs, but we've found ways to manufacture some. Obviously, the pitcher has been what's kept us in every game." The Red Sox lead the majors with a 2.09 team ERA and much of their success has come against the Rays, who are 1-4 versus Boston and own baseball's worst OPS at .529. "Good teams stop the bleeding, and that's kind of what we have to do here," third baseman Matt Duffy told the Tampa Bay Times. "We have to do it pretty quick."
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Faria (0-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (1-0, 1.69)
Faria limited the Red Sox to one run in four innings in his season debut Sunday afternoon, walking three while fanning just two. The outing left the 24-year-old with a 1.38 ERA in three career games (two starts) against Boston, although he has yet to pitch in Fenway Park. The current Red Sox roster is 7-for-46 with no extra-base hits against Faria.
Porcello's quest to return to his 2016 Cy Young form got off to a solid start as he yielded one run in 5 1/3 innings to defeat the Rays in Tampa Bay last Saturday. "He commanded the bottom of the zone," manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game. "(He) was able to mix up his pitches as we talk about before the game. ... You know he worked hard in the offseason and throughout spring training to work on his pitch selection and try to get back to the bottom of the zone and he was able to today." The 29-year-old is 13-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 24 career starts against the Rays.
WALK-OFFS
1. Ramirez has two RBIs in each of his last three games.
2. Rays CF Kevin Kiermaier is 2-for-28 with 12 strikeouts on the season.
3. Boston will activate LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) from the disabled list to start the series finale on Sunday.