San Francisco @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 20, 2016 ) San Francisco 7, Boston 11

The Boston Red Sox are on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from the postseason race after winning the World Series last season but are still pushing hard and return home winners of three straight. The Red Sox will try to make it four in a row when they host the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game interleague series Tuesday.

Boston (79-70) played spoiler in the National League over the weekend by taking two games from the wild-card hopeful Philadelphia Phillies and intends to keep its foot on the gas the rest of the way while taking a look at some things for the future. "My only experience as a coach is playing all the way until Nov. 1," Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who won a World Series ring as the bench coach in Houston in 2017 before leading Boston last season, told reporters. "But at the same time, there are a few things that I'm watching and looking ahead to see what happens over the next couple days, couple weeks." The highlight of the series for the Giants (72-78), who have drifted out of wild card contention in the NL, could be seeing the love showered on rookie outfielder Mike Yastrzemski - grandson of Boston Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski - by the opposing fans. Yastrzemski will be trying to provide support for San Francisco right-hander Logan Webb while going up against Red Sox righty Nathan Eovaldi on Tuesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Logan Webb (1-2, 6.75 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 5.81)

Webb picked up a win in his major league debut Aug. 17 but is winless in his last four turns and has yet to complete six innings. The 22-year-old was reached for four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings by the Pittsburgh Pirates to earn a loss in his last outing Wednesday. Webb owns 22 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings but also yielded 33 hits.

Eovaldi is still building his pitch count and worked up to 93 pitches at Toronto last Tuesday but lasted only 4 1/3 innings while surrendering three runs and six hits (two homers). The veteran Texan worked five innings against Minnesota on Sept. 5 - his longest stint since before undergoing elbow surgery in April - but is still looking for his first win as a starter in 2019. Eovaldi's lone start against an NL opponent came at San Diego on Aug. 24, when he was reached for two runs and four hits in three innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox OF Mookie Betts (left foot) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.

2. San Francisco rookie OF Mike Gerber is 1-for-21 with 13 strikeouts in six games this season.

3. Boston C Christian Vazquez homered twice Sunday to push his total to 21 - 11 more than his career total entering the season.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 8, Giants 6