Tampa Bay @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2014 ) Tampa Bay 2, Boston 3

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays do not like each other very much and have taken to renewing acquaintances on the field via angry pushing and shoving during games. The teams will try to get through one game without a benches-clearing incident when the Red Sox host the Rays in the second contest of a three-game set on Saturday. Boston was down to its fourth manager by the time it earned a 3-2 walk-off victory in the 10th inning of Friday’s series opener.

The Rays and Red Sox started to get into it in Tampa Bay last weekend, when Boston was enduring a 10-game losing streak and let frustrations boil over. The teams renewed those tensions on Friday as Tampa Bay ace David Price drilled Red Sox slugger David Ortiz with a pitch in the first inning and was not thrown out after hitting Mike Carp in the fourth, causing the benches to clear. The ugliness - which continued when Boston starter Brandon Workman threw behind Rays star Evan Longoria in the sixth - obscured a come-from-behind win from the Red Sox that extended their season-best winning streak to five games.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (2-4, 4.56 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rubby De La Rosa (2013: 0-2, 5.56)

Odorizzi had an easy time with Boston on Sunday, allowing one run and four hits in six innings while striking out five to pick up the win. The 24-year-old has surrendered fewer than two runs in three of his last four starts, dropping his ERA from 6.83 to its current 4.56. Odorizzi has made one career start at Fenway Park, allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision on June 18, 2013.

De La Rosa, who was one of the main pieces that came over from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2012 trade that sent Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez to L.A., will be making his first start in a Red Sox uniform after being recalled from Triple-A to take over the rotation spot from Clay Buchholz (knee). The 25-year-old pitched in relief in several stints with the team last season, totaling 11 appearances. De La Rosa went 2-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Pawtucket.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia suffered a bruised right hand and left the game in the ninth inning on Friday. He is day-to-day.

2. Tampa Bay RHP Alex Cobb will be pushed back from Sunday to Monday to take advantage of an extra day off.

3. Boston SS Xander Bogaerts has posted three consecutive three-hit efforts and has scored at least one run in five straight contests.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Red Sox 4