Boston @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2014 ) Boston 1, Oakland 2
The Oakland Athletics continue to increase their lead over everyone else in the American League as the Boston Red Sox struggle to score runs. The Athletics will try to wrap up a four-game sweep of the visiting Red Sox when they host the series finale Sunday. Boston is in a deep team slump on offense and has not scored more than three runs in any of the last eight games.
The Red Sox needed a break from the umpires to score their lone run in Saturday’s 2-1 setback and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the contest, making them 2-for-19 in that situation in the series. Oakland is not lighting up the scoreboard in the series either, but center fielder Coco Crisp is getting the hits he needs against his former team. Crisp drove in the go-ahead run in Friday’s 4-3 triumph and provided the walk-off single to right in Saturday’s 2-1 win in 10 innings.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), CSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Jon Lester (8-7, 3.20 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Tommy Milone (5-3, 3.56)
Lester held the Minnesota Twins to one run over 6 1/3 innings and his offense managed to scrape across two runs to give him the win. The free-agent-to-be has won back-to-back starts while piling up 10 strikeouts and two walks. Lester posted one of the best starts of his career against Oakland on May 3, striking out a career-high 15 while yielding one hit in eight scoreless innings.
Milone has not lost since May 3 at Boston, when he was knocked around for six runs on as many hits in four innings. The 27-year-old surrendered three home runs in that start but yielded a total of five blasts in the subsequent eight turns. Milone battled through 5 2/3 innings against Texas on Tuesday, picking up the win with three runs allowed.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Red Sox have totaled 14 runs in their last eight games.
2. Oakland LHP Sean Doolittle has allowed a total of 10 hit without walking a batter in his last 10 appearances.
3. Boston RF Shane Victorino (back, hamstring) sat out his third straight rehab game Saturday and remains day-to-day.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Athletics 2