Boston @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 26, 2013 ) Cleveland 5, Boston 6

The red-hot Boston Red Sox are winners of seven straight games as fill-ins like Brock Holt and Jonathan Herrera give the offense a jolt. The Red Sox will try to make it eight straight when they begin a nine-game road trip by visiting the Cleveland Indians on Monday. Holt made his first career start at first base on Sunday and has been taking fly balls in the outfield as Boston looks for ways to keep his bat at the top of a lineup that is finally producing.

The Indians are winners of three in a row and own the best home record in the American League at 18-11. Cleveland managed a total of seven runs while dropping four in a row on the road but returned home over the weekend and put 18 runs on the board in a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, capped by Michael Bourn’s walk-off home run in Sunday’s 6-4 triumph. Holt, who spent most of his time as a second baseman in the minors, has been playing mostly third base since Will Middlebrooks went on the disabled list but moved across the diamond to cover for banged up first basemen Mike Napoli and Mike Carp on Sunday and ended up going 4-for-4 with four doubles, two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH John Lackey (6-3, 3.27 ERA) vs. Indians RH Justin Masterson (2-4, 5.21)

Lackey struck out nine in 6 1/3 scoreless innings to earn a win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday and has not allowed a run in 13 1/3 frames over his last two starts. The veteran surrendered two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings. Lackey made one start against Cleveland last season and allowed just one unearned run on two hits in seven innings to pick up a win.

Masterson was limited to three innings due to a lengthy rain delay on Tuesday but suffered the loss at the Chicago White Sox after yielding a run on four hits. The former Boston farmhand has been knocked around for 18 runs in 18 1/3 innings while going 0-3 in his last four starts. Masterson made two starts against the Red Sox in 2013 and lost both, allowing a total of nine runs and 17 hits in 11 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox OF Grady Sizemore, who was an All-Star for the Indians before enduring several injury-plagued seasons, will be making his first appearance back since signing with Boston.

2. Cleveland 3B Lonnie Chisenhall drove in six runs during the three-game weekend sweep.

3. Boston is expected to recall SS Stephen Drew for the start of the series.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Indians 3