Baltimore @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 4, 2014 ) Baltimore 0, Boston 0

With Hurricane Arthur set to be long gone, the Baltimore Orioles and host Boston Red Sox will finally get their three-game series underway Saturday with a day-night doubleheader. Inclement weather associated with the storm forced a postponement of Friday's scheduled series opener, with both teams pushing their starters into Saturday's matinee. The postponement gave Boston another day to lick its wounds after a humiliating three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs to begin the week.

The capper to the sweep was Wednesday's 16-9 loss, which came after defeats of 2-0 and 2-1 and helped wipe away the positive vibes attained by a pair of solid wins at the New York Yankees over the weekend. It was the ninth loss in 13 games overall for the sinking Red Sox, who are on the verge of falling 10 games below .500 for the first time since the end of their ill-fated 2012 campaign. Baltimore is headed in the other direction, winning four straight, and will get streaking third baseman Manny Machado back from a five-game suspension in time for the nightcap.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (4-5, 4.56 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (9-7, 2.92)

Gonzalez has failed to last any longer than five innings in his last three starts, giving up 10 runs on 25 hits in 14 2/3 rocky innings during that span. He has served up five home runs and has nine walks against just eight strikeouts in the three-start slump. Gonzalez, who has a 5.54 ERA on the road this year, is 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA in five career appearances against Boston.

Since a rough outing at Detroit on June 7, Lester has gone 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA over a stretch of four dominant starts. The Red Sox are 4-0 in those outings and 5-11 in all other games since the surge began June 12. Lester, who is 15-4 with a 2.92 ERA in his career versus Baltimore, has lasted at least five innings in all 26 starts against the Orioles, the longest active such streak in the majors.

WALK-OFFS

1. Machado hit .333 with three home runs in the eight games before he began serving the suspension.

2. Red Sox DH David Ortiz needs one extra-base hit to become the 36th player in baseball history to reach 1,000.

3. Orioles OF/1B Steve Pearce is 9-for-20 with three home runs, three doubles and nine RBIs over his last five games.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Orioles 3