Red Sox at Nationals
The Boston Red Sox continue to pick on National League opponents and can cap a three-game interleague sweep on Wednesday, when they visit the Washington Nationals for an Independence Day late-morning affair. The Red Sox took the opener in a nail-biter before utilizing three home runs in a much more comfortable 11-4 triumph on Tuesday.
The Red Sox have claimed 17 of their last 19 interleague games - including 11 of the last 12 - and are 39-11 versus the NL since Sept 4, 2015. "A lot of guys stepped up," shortstop Xander Bogaerts - who slugged one of the three home runs for Boston - told reporters. "The weather's not the best. It's hot. It's better than cold. A lot of guys swung at good pitches and had good at-bats." The Nationals are losers of four straight and sit at .500 (42-42) for the first time since they were 17-17. They'll try to avoid falling below the even mark when they start Erick Fedde in the series finale opposite Eduardo Rodriguez.
TV: 11:05 a.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 4.11 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Erick Fedde (1-3, 6.00)
Rodriguez has lost two straight starts after winning six in a row, giving up nine earned runs in 10 innings during the skid. The 25-year-old Venezuelan registered a total of four strikeouts in the back-to-back losses after fanning 90 batters over his first 77 2/3 frames. Rodriguez never has faced the Nationals but is 4-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 10 career interleague starts.
Fedde has surrendered at least three runs in each of his first five starts with the Nationals, giving up a season-high five in five innings of a win at Philadelphia his last time out. Opponents have recorded nine doubles and five home runs in 27 frames against the 25-year-old. Fedde made back-to-back interleague starts last month against the New York Yankees, yielding seven runs and 13 hits while striking out seven in 10 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox OF-DH J.D. Martinez hit his 26th home run - tops in the major leagues - in Tuesday's win.
2. Boston 1B Mitch Moreland left the 11-4 victory with back spasms and is not expected to play Wednesday.
3. Nationals RF Bryce Harper has collected two homers, eight walks and five runs scored over his last five games.