Tigers at Red Sox
Andrew Benintendi is riding an impressive power surge that has produced three homers in his last four contests. Benintendi looks to continue to flex his muscles as the Boston Red Sox (43-19) vie for their seventh sweep of the season on Thursday in the finale of a three-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers (29-34).
Benintendi celebrated his bobblehead night by launching a ball into the bullpen in right-center field during Wednesday's 7-1 triumph, giving him five homers among his 18 hits and 13 runs scored in his last 11 games. The 23-year-old Benintendi will see a familiar face in former Arkansas teammate Jalen Beeks, who will make his major-league debut on the mound for Boston. While the major league-best Red Sox have won four in a row, Detroit has answered an 8-2 stretch by dropping four of its last five overall and 13 of its last 17 on the road. Miguel Cabrera had two hits on Wednesday to boost his total to seven in as many games this month for the Tigers.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS Detroit, NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (3-4, 3.23 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jalen Beeks (major-league debut)
Boyd recorded six straight starts in which he had not surrendered a homer before he was taken deep on two occasions in a no-decision against Toronto on Saturday. The 27-year-old allowed four runs on six hits in seven innings against the Blue Jays after permitting two runs on three hits in his previous two outings (nine innings). Mitch Moreland is 4-for-11 with three extra-base hits (two doubles, homer) in his career versus Boyd, who owns an 0-1 mark in two career outings against Boston after yielding eight runs on 11 hits - including three homers - in just six innings.
With Drew Pomeranz on the 10-day disabled list, Beeks was scratched from his scheduled start on Tuesday in Triple-A Pawtucket and summoned to make his major-league debut after posting a 3-3 mark with a 2.56 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 10 outings with Pawtucket. The 24-year-old allowed four runs and struck out seven in as many innings in his last outing on May 31. Beeks, who leads the International League with 80 strikeouts, was named the Red Sox minor league pitcher of the year in September.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit CF JaCoby Jones had two hits on Wednesday, matching his total of his previous seven games.
2. Boston SS Xander Bogaerts has 14 hits and nine runs scored in his last 12 contests.
3. Tigers DH Victor Martinez is 0-for-7 in the series after hitting safely in 13 of his previous 16 games.