Boston @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( May 27, 2018 ) Atlanta 7, Boston 1

The Boston Red Sox sit comfortably atop the American League East entering the opener of a three-game road series Monday at the Atlanta Braves, and they hope better days are to come as two key cogs of their starting rotation heal. Boston fell 8-0 Sunday at the Chicago White Sox, further reinforcing the point that the presence of Chris Sale and David Price in the Red Sox rotation makes baseball’s best team even more formidable.

“When you start getting hurt, especially your main guys, it’s not that easy to go out there with the guys that we’re throwing and keep throwing the ball well,” Boston manager Alex Cora told the media after fill-in starter Brian Johnson was knocked out in the second inning Sunday. “They did it for a month and a half, right after the All-Star break, and now it’s not that way.” Boston looks for Sale and Price to return in the next two weeks, but first heads to Atlanta to face a Braves team holding a four-game lead over Philadelphia in the National League East race. Rookie outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. tied a franchise record with his seventh leadoff homer in Sunday’s 5-1 home victory over the Pirates, a game Atlanta broke open with a four-run eighth inning for the second consecutive game. Acuna finished a triple shy of the cycle, extending his hitting streak to five games and raising his average to .296 with 23 homers on the season.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, NESN (Boston), FS Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 4.35 ERA) vs. Braves RH Touki Toussaint (1-0, 1.50)

Eovaldi hopes for a good beginning to September after posting a 5.67 ERA in six August starts, losing his last three outings and pitching beyond the fifth inning twice. The 28-year-old lost to the White Sox on Friday, giving up three runs on three hits over two innings of a rain-shortened outing five days after surrendering six runs (five earned) across four innings to Tampa Bay. Traded by the Rays to the Red Sox on July 25, Eovaldi is 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts for Boston.

Toussaint impressed in his major-league debut Aug. 13 against Miami, giving up one run on two hits with four strikeouts over six innings to get the victory. The 22-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday and figures to get a handful of starts down the stretch as the Braves try to give their other starting pitchers extra rest. Toussaint finished 9-6 with a 2.38 ERA in 24 starts between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Boston OF J.D. Martinez collected two hits Sunday to raise his average to .337, pulling into second place in the AL just three points behind teammate OF Mookie Betts (.340).

2. The Red Sox beat Atlanta twice in three games at Boston in late May, scoring 14 runs combined in the two victories before the Braves won the series finale, 7-1.

3. Boston is 50 games above .500 (94-44) and the Red Sox have dominated in day games - winning 30-of-38 contests.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Braves 5