Baltimore @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 12, 2018 ) Boston 4, Baltimore 1

The Boston Red Sox open the final week of an impressive regular season looking to get healthy for the playoffs and add some milestones as they host the major league-worst Baltimore Orioles in the opener of their three-game series on Monday. The American League East-champion Red Sox have lost four of their last six contests following a 4-3 setback in 11 innings at Cleveland on Sunday that kept them tied with the 1912 team that went 105-47 for the franchise record for the most wins in a season.

Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts left Sunday’s contest with a strained left shoulder and is day-to-day, but teammate Mookie Betts is feeling good after going 4-for-6 with his 31st homer - passing Nomar Garciaparra for the most blasts in a season by a leadoff hitter in Red Sox history. Nathan Eovaldi will try to put together back-to-back strong starts when he takes the mound for Boston in the series opener against fellow right-hander Dylan Bundy. The Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 6-3 on Sunday with the help of two homers by Tim Beckham, keeping them one loss away from the dubious franchise record of 111 set by the 1939 St. Louis Browns. Rookie DJ Stewart has gone 7-for-12 with three doubles, two homers and six RBIs during his five-game hitting streak after going 0-for-13 to start his major-league career.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (8-15, 5.37 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 3.98)

Bundy has pitched better in his last two starts, allowing two earned runs in each outing while taking the loss against Toronto and defeating Oakland. The 25-year-old native of Oklahoma went 0-5 over his previous seven turns, adding to his career-high loss total while posting a 9.09 ERA during that rough stretch. Brock Holt is 8-for-13 with a homer versus Bundy, who is 0-2 with a 4.38 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox this year and 3-6 with a 4.80 ERA in 16 career appearances (12 starts).

Eovaldi permitted just two hits and two walks in six scoreless innings against the Yankees last time out but extended his winless streak to eight games. The 28-year-old Texan had not completed six frames in his previous seven appearances (six starts), going 0-3 in that span. Chris Davis is 4-for-13 with two homers versus Eovaldi, who gave up eight runs - four earned - over 2 2/3 innings against Baltimore on Aug. 10 but escaped with a no-decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. Baltimore 3B Renato Nunez has gone 4-for-8 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored in his last two games.

2. Boston OF-DH J.D. Martinez has belted 41 homers, one shy of Dick Stuart's mark (1963) for most by a first-year Red Sox player.

3. Orioles 2B Breyvic Valera left Sunday’s game with a broken left index finger he suffered while getting tagged out at home plate.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 5, Orioles 3