Baltimore @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 28, 2013 ) Boston 5, Baltimore 0

The Boston Red Sox went into Los Angeles and did the nearly impossible by claiming a series win against the Dodgers over the weekend. The road only gets more difficult for the Red Sox this week, when they get back to the grind of the American League East by hosting the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Boston leads Tampa Bay by 1 1/2 games in the East while the Orioles lurk 5 1/2 games behind.

The Dodgers had gone 18 straight series without a loss before dropping two of three to the Red Sox, who got their starting pitching on a roll during the interleague west coast trip through San Francisco and Los Angeles. Jake Peavy capped the trip with a complete-game three-hitter, and Boston’s starters are aiming for a seventh straight game surrendering two or fewer earned runs. Baltimore took two of three from Oakland over the weekend and is two games behind the Athletics for the second wild card spot.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (7-6, 3.19 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Felix Doubront (9-6, 3.79)

Chen snapped a three-start losing streak by holding Tampa Bay to two runs over seven innings Wednesday. Both runs came on solo homers and the Taiwanese hurler has surrendered four of his 10 total home runs this season in his last two starts. Chen pitched 6 1/3 innings and yielded a three-run homer to Daniel Nava on April 8 in a 3-1 loss at Boston.

Doubront pulled himself out of a hole at San Francisco last week by firing off an eight-inning outing in which he allowed a run on five hits. The Venezuelan was reached for a total of nine earned runs in eight innings during his two previous turns. Doubront allowed four runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings at Baltimore on June 13 and is 0-2 with a 3.58 ERA in seven career games (four starts) against the division rivals.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Orioles have taken six of the first 10 meetings between the teams, including two of three at Boston.

2. The Red Sox have four left-handers in the bullpen after activating Matt Thornton (oblique) from the 15-day disabled list Sunday.

3. Baltimore INF Wilson Betemit (knee) finishes a rehab assignment on Monday and could return to the team for the start of the series.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Orioles 3