After failing to secure a sweep at Pittsburgh with an 8-2 loss to the Pirates Thursday, the Red Sox head to Baltimore to begin a three-game series with the Orioles on Friday.
The first two games will be played at Camden Yards. Sunday’s series finale will be played at Muncy Bank Ballpark in Williamsport, Pa., as part of the MLB Little League Classic.
Including Baltimore, 34 of the 43 remaining games for the Red Sox are against teams ahead of them in the American League East or Wild Card standings.
Kutter Crawford gets the nod for Friday’s opener.
Here is a preview.
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Lineups
RED SOX (59-60): Pham LF, Verdugo RF, Bogaerts SS, Devers 3B, Arroyo 2B, Hosmer 1B, Refsnyder DH, McGuire C, Hernández CF.
Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.18 ERA)
ORIOLES (61-57): Mullins CF, Rutschman C, Santander DH, Mountcastle 1B, Stowers RF, Hays LF, Odor 2B, Urias 3B, Mateo SS.
Pitching: RHP Jordan Lyles (9-9, 4.48 ERA)
Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Lyles: Christian Arroyo 2-5, Xander Bogaerts 2-11, Bobby Dalbec 1-5, Rafael Devers 4-11, Kiké Hernández 3-8, Eric Hosmer 5-13, J.D. Martinez 5-11, Reese McGuire 0-2, Tommy Pham 4-9, Kevin Plawecki 0-1, Rob Refsnyder 0-0, Alex Verdugo 1-8
Orioles vs. Crawford: Rougned Odor 1-1, Brett Phillips 1-6, Ramón Urías 0-0
Stat of the day: The Red Sox are 38-28 in games when they hit a home run, and 21-32 when they do not.
Notes: Crawford has gone at least five innings in each of his eight starts. In his one appearance against the Orioles, he was charged with two runs without recording an out in a relief appearance on May 1. … Lyles is 2-1 with a 5.31 ERA in six starts against the Red Sox. In two starts against the Sox in May he went 1-0, allowing a total of four runs and 16 hits (no home runs) in 10 ⅓ innings. … The 321 career extra-base hits by Devers are the most by a Red Sox player 25 or younger.
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