Boston @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2013 ) Baltimore 1, Boston 3
The Boston Red Sox helped to begin the Baltimore Orioles’ late swoon that knocked them out of the wild-card picture. The Orioles can exact a measure of revenge when they host the Red Sox in the opener of a season-ending series on Friday. Boston owns the best record in the league - two games ahead of the Oakland Athletics - but could lose homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a rough series this weekend.
The Red Sox are already getting things in order for the postseason and are giving their regulars plenty of rest while lining up the pitching rotation. Jacoby Ellsbury (broken foot) returned to the lineup on Wednesday but played only four innings and will see his playing time increase over the weekend. Baltimore took the first two of a three-game set at Boston on Sept. 19 and 20 but suffered a 3-1 setback in the series finale, beginning a stretch of six straight losses that dropped the Orioles out of contention.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (11-1, 1.60 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Scott Feldman (12-11, 3.51)
Buchholz is still building up stamina after a lengthy stint on the disabled list and is looking for his first outing of longer than six innings since his return on Sept. 10. The All-Star suffered his first loss last time out, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits in six innings against Toronto. Buchholz yielded three hits in seven scoreless innings against Baltimore on April 8.
Feldman is looking for his ninth straight start allowing three earned runs or fewer while also trying to snap a three-start winless streak. The 30-year-old issued six walks in five innings at Boston on Sept. 17 but limited the damage to two runs (one earned) in a no-0decision. Feldman lasted only five innings against the Red Sox on July 27, as well, allowing four runs in a loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox C Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 14-for-33 with 10 RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak.
2. Baltimore does not expect to have OF Chris Dickerson (hamstring) or 2B Alexi Casilla (concussion symptoms) the rest of the way.
3. Boston DH David Ortiz needs one home run to reach 30 for the first time since 2010.
PREDICTION: Red Sox 7, Orioles 3