Braves at Red Sox
A pair of first-place teams looking to bounce back from series-ending losses meet Friday when the Boston Red Sox host the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game interleague series. The Red Sox won four straight before falling 6-3 at Tampa Bay on Thursday, as the top third of their order went 1-for-12 with five strikeouts.
Mookie Betts had that one hit and returns home sporting a .417 average at Fenway Park this year. Boston gets a boost in the opener with the return of star second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who makes his season debut after recovering from offseason knee surgery. The Braves were shut out twice in a three-game set at Philadelphia to begin the week, sandwiching in a 3-1 victory. Julio Teheran, who gave up six runs and 13 hits in 6 1/3 innings in his only prior start at Fenway Park, gets the nod in the opener for the Braves opposite Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (4-1, 4.17 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 4.13)
Teheran had his first home start in nearly a month Sunday against Miami, giving up six runs over five innings without getting a decision. The Braves are 8-2 in his 10 starts and they've managed to win each of the last four, despite some inconsistent results. The 27-year-old lost his first two starts against the Red Sox and is 6-9 with a 5.08 ERA in 19 career interleague outings.
Rodriguez has a 1.72 ERA over his last three starts but he has failed to get through six innings each time and allowed nine hits in his most recent outing - a win over Baltimore on Sunday. The Venezuelan has 11 strikeouts and no walks over his last two appearances and 58 punchouts in 48 innings on the year. He has never faced the Braves and owns a 3.93 ERA in nine career interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Braves RF Nick Markakis is batting .417 during a six-game hitting streak.
2. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts is 1-for-13 with six strikeouts over a four-game span.
3. Boston won 11 of the last 14 meetings.