Oakland @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 23, 2013 ) Oakland 13, Boston 0
After getting manhandled over the first four games of their current road trip, the Oakland Athletics pushed back Tuesday. They’ll try to repeat their offensive outburst and take two of three from the Boston Red Sox as the teams wrap up their series Wednesday. The Athletics, who started the season by winning their first six games away from home in impressive fashion, were outscored 26-10 during their four-game road skid. But Oakland routed Boston 13-0 on Wednesday to even the series.
The Red Sox managed only three hits off Oakland starter Bartolo Colon, who allowed only one baserunner past second. But Boston’s pitching and defense didn’t do much to help the situation in the rain-shortened blowout – walking three batters while committing two balks and two errors during the Athletics’ six-run third inning. Alfredo Aceves, who was charged with eight runs (seven earned) over 3 1/3 innings, turned in easily the worst performance by a Boston starter this season.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet California (Oakland), New England Sports Network (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Oakland Athletics Brett Anderson (1-3, 5.95 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (3-0, 1.73)
Anderson lasted only one inning in Friday's start against the Tampa Bay Rays, exiting after he sprained his right ankle. In that one frame, he gave up four runs on four hits and two walks before suffering the injury on the second-to-last pitch of the inning. It was the 25-year-old's second straight poor start after surrendering seven runs and eight hits in a home loss to Detroit on April 13. In eight career starts against Boston, Anderson is 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA.
Lester hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his four turns while going seven innings in each of his last three outings. In Thursday’s 6-3 victory at Cleveland, the two-time All-Star limited the Indians to two runs on four hits. The Red Sox ace has yet to allow a home run, one season after surrendering a career-high 25. Lester gave up one run and struck out nine over 6 2/3 innings in his only appearance against Oakland last season, but is 3-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 10 career starts against the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland, which leads the majors with 119 runs, has scored at least eight runs in eight of its first 21 games.
2. Aceves' poor outing ended a stretch in which Red Sox starting pitchers allowed three or fewer runs 18 times and four runs once to open the season.
3. The Athletics have won nine of their last 10 over Boston.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 7, Athletics 2