Red Sox at Orioles
The visiting Boston Red Sox will try to clinch their fourth straight series win over the Baltimore Orioles when the teams play the second of three straight at Camden Yards on Tuesday. Two sacrifice flies in the top of the 12th inning accounted for all the offense in a 2-0 win for the Red Sox in the series opener Monday night.
Steven Wright and five relievers combined on a five-hit shutout for Boston, which is 10-1 in the last 11 contests against the Orioles dating to last season and has claimed six straight games in Baltimore. Mookie Betts returned from an oblique strain and had a hit in five trips to the plate in the opener of a 10-game road trip for the Red Sox. Orioles shortstop Manny Machado missed Monday's contest due to an illness and could return Tuesday to face Eduardo Rodriguez, against whom he is 6-for-31 with five strikeouts. Baltimore counters with streaking rookie David Hess as it attempts to end a five-game slide.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (7-1, 3.68 ERA) vs. Orioles RH David Hess (2-2, 3.07)
Rodriguez has won four straight and already surpassed last season's win total after emerging victorious against Detroit on Wednesday. He limited the Tigers to one run and five hits over 5 2/3 innings while striking out five in his fifth consecutive home outing. The 25-year-old started his current winning streak with 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a victory over Baltimore on May 20, improving to 5-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 12 career meetings.
Hess has a 0.96 ERA over his last three starts after stifling the Toronto Blue Jays through six innings his last time out. The solid stretch began after a rocky effort opposite Rodriguez at Fenway Park last month, when Hess gave up five runs across 4 2/3 frames. The Tennessee native has a 3.00 ERA in two home starts while yielding 10 hits and a walk in 12 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles 1B Chris Davis was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts Monday as his average through 57 games fell to .150.
2. Red Sox LF Andrew Benintendi is 13-for-30 with six walks in eight games against Baltimore this year.
3. Boston 1B Mitch Moreland is 2-for-19 over a six-game span to drop his average from .310 to .287.