Boston @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 13, 2013 ) Boston 4, Baltimore 5

The Baltimore Orioles outlasted the Boston Red Sox in 13 innings on Thursday thanks to some stellar work from the bullpen. Both teams could be short on relievers when the Orioles host the Red Sox again on Friday. Chris Davis delivered the walk-off single on Thursday and made a winner out of T.J. McFarland, who capped a string of 6 1/3 hitless innings for a Baltimore bullpen that entered the series ranked in the bottom third of the majors in ERA.

Boston missed out on a chance to increase its lead in the American League East to four games over the New York Yankees, instead watching the edge slip to 2 1/2 games over the Orioles, who leapfrogged the Yankees with the win. The Red Sox have used a daily transaction to replenish the relief corps since a 14-inning game at Tampa Bay earlier in the week and may need to make another move after Thursday’s callup, Alex Wilson, went 2 2/3 innings. Baltimore has taken three of the first four meetings of the season from Boston and has won four of its last five overall.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Ryan Dempster (4-6, 4.40 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (6-2, 3.89)

Dempster has put together three straight quality starts and has gotten plenty of support in the last two, with the Boston offense busting out for a total of 27 runs in those games. The veteran right-hander has yielded 14 home runs in 75 2/3 total innings, including two each in the last two starts. Dempster faced Baltimore back on April 10 and allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits in five innings but did not factor in the decision.

Tillman has had his own problems keeping the ball in the yard with 16 home runs allowed in 76 1/3 total innings. Only two of those have come in the past two starts, when the 25-year-old has yielded three earned runs in 13 total innings to pick up back-to-back wins. Tillman started at Boston on April 11 and limited the damage to two runs in 5 1/3 frames without factoring in the decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox announced that LHP Jon Lester will start the series finale on Sunday. RHP Clay Buchholz (neck) was pushed back to next week.

2. Orioles 3B Manny Machado has hit safely in 11 straight games.

3. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury has stolen at least one base in each of his last six games. Tris Speaker (1913) holds the franchise record with eight straight games.

PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Red Sox 4