Boston @ Cleveland Preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2015 ) Boston 0, Cleveland 2

The Boston Red Sox are having some trouble scoring runs as they finish out the regular season and the Cleveland Indians are taking advantage. The Red Sox will try to snap a three-game slide and keep the Indians from finishing the season above .500 when they meet for the finale in Cleveland on Sunday.

Boston totaled 41 runs during a six-game winning streak but managed just three in dropping the last three games. Sandy Leon had two of the Red Sox’s three hits in Saturday’s 2-0 loss, which snuffed out the team’s last chance of reaching 80 wins by the end of the regular season. The victory pushed the Indians’ record to 80-80 and Carlos Santana is trying to help the team finish with a winning record by going 4-for-6 with a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored in the first two games of the series. Santana is 12-for-37 with three home runs in his career against Rick Porcello, who starts for Boston on Sunday opposite Danny Salazar.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (9-14, 5.02 ERA) vs. Indians RH Danny Salazar (13-10, 3.51)

Porcello is trying to come up with a strong end to a disappointing first season in Boston and is 4-3 with a 3.22 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabled list on Aug. 26. The New Jersey native went eight innings in a win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday and has gone at least seven frames in six of his last seven turns. Porcello is 9-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 20 career starts against Cleveland.

Salazar is finishing up his first full season in the Indians rotation and is trying to avoid a third straight loss. The 25-year-old Dominican surrendered three or fewer runs in each of his last four starts but received a total of one run of support in the last two outings. Salazar earned a win at Boston on Aug. 17, when he scattered one run and four hits over seven innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts needs five hits in the final game to reach 200.

2. Cleveland UTL prospect Zach Walters underwent shoulder surgery on Friday after injuring himself in the International League playoffs and will miss five months.

3. Boston UTL Brock Holt left Saturday’s game after being hit by a pitch in the knee.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Indians 2