Arizona @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 2, 2013 ) Arizona 7, Boston 6
After Cody Ross burned his former team, Jake Peavy looks to aid his new club on Saturday as the Boston Red Sox continue their three-game interleague series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks. Ross belted a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning to highlight a four-hit performance as the Diamondbacks slugged their way to a 7-6 victory on Friday. Ross was playing in his first game at Fenway Park since bolting Boston for a three-year, $26 million deal to compete in the desert.
Peavy hopes to provide a similar impact when he takes the mound on Saturday. The 32-year-old right-hander joined the Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox as part of a three-team, seven-player deal at the trade deadline. Arizona won for the second time in six outings to remain 3 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, while Boston maintained its one-game lead over Tampa Bay in the American League East despite suffering its second loss in seven contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN (Arizona), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (12-2, 2.24 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Jake Peavy (8-4, 4.28)
Corbin saw his three-game winning streak come to an end despite yielding one run for the fourth consecutive outing. The 24-year-old allowed six hits and struck out eight in the 1-0 loss to San Diego on Sunday. Corbin, who has yet to face the Red Sox in his young career, has permitted just nine homers in 144 1/3 innings this season.
Peavy has yielded at least four runs in four consecutive outings but won his last two trips to the mound with the White Sox. The veteran, who served up three homers against Detroit on July 25, has been taken deep in each of his last five outings. Peavy owns a 13-12 career mark against the Diamondbacks but has not faced them since 2009.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt, who belted a two-run homer on Friday, has gone deep four times in his last eight games. He has a career-high 25 homers this season.
2. Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury is riding an eight-game hitting streak overall and a 13-game stretch in interleague play.
3. Red Sox RF Shane Victorino, who has eight hits in his last four games, went 0-for-3 against Corbin when the speedy Hawaiian played with Philadelphia.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Diamondbacks 4