Orioles at Red Sox
Mookie Betts gets another chance to take aim at the Baltimore Orioles' pitching staff when he leads the Boston Red Sox into the finale of a four-game series at Fenway Park on Sunday. Betts slugged his major league-leading 15th home run - a two-run shot - to help the Red Sox secure a 6-3 victory Saturday night.
The 25-year-old is 7-for-13 with two homers and two doubles in the series and has gone deep 14 times in 43 matchups with the Orioles over the past three years. Betts and his teammates will get a look at rookie right-hander David Hess, who is expected to be called up to make Sunday's start for Baltimore. The Orioles enter the finale with a 4-18 record on the road, a 1-5 mark against the Red Sox and a 5-12 showing in day games. They'll face lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, who has kept Baltimore slugger Manny Machado (6-for-28, no home runs) in check over the years.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH David Hess (1-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (3-1, 4.68 ERA)
Hess won his first career start last Saturday against Tampa Bay, allowing three runs - all in the first inning - in six innings before being sent back down to the minors. The 24-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in six starts for Triple-A Norfolk this year while recording 29 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. Hess owns a 4.04 mark in five seasons in Baltimore's system.
Rodriguez followed up five scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium with five innings of three-run ball in a loss to Oakland on Tuesday at home. He struck out only four but got through the outing without allowing a walk for the first time this year. The 25-year-old dominated the Orioles through six innings to pick up his first win of the season April 13 while improving to 4-5 with a 4.35 ERA in 11 career meetings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox CF Jackie Bradley Jr. is 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the series and is batting .161 in 38 games.
2. Orioles DH/3B Pedro Alvarez slugged a two-run homer Saturday and has eight long balls in 86 at-bats on the year.
3. Boston is 13-1 in series finales this season.