Eshelman scheduled to start as Baltimore hosts Boston
Boston Red Sox (53-45, third in the AL East) vs. Baltimore Orioles (30-66, fifth in the AL East)
Baltimore; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Red Sox: Rick Porcello (7-7, 5.37 ERA) Orioles: Tom Eshelman (0-1, 5.06 ERA)
LINE: Red Sox favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 11 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE:
The Orioles are 15-29 against AL East opponents. Baltimore is slugging .401 as a unit. Trey Mancini leads the team with a .517 slugging percentage, including 41 extra-base hits and 19 home runs.
The Red Sox are 22-21 against the rest of their division. Boston's team on-base percentage of .341 is second in the league. Xander Bogaerts leads the club with an OBP of .393. The Orioles won the last meeting 11-2. John Means earned his eighth victory and Anthony Santander went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs for Baltimore. David Price registered his third loss for Boston.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mancini leads the Orioles with 41 extra base hits and is batting .284. Renato Nunez is 11-for-38 with three doubles, two home runs and four RBIs over the last 10 games for Baltimore.
Bogaerts leads the Red Sox with 52 extra base hits and is batting .311. Rafael Devers is 11-for-44 with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs over the last 10 games for Boston.
LAST 10 GAMES: Orioles: 5-5, .239 batting average, 5.06 ERA, outscored by eight runs
Red Sox: 6-4, .285 batting average, 5.19 ERA, outscored by five runs
Orioles Injuries: Josh Rogers: 60-day IL (elbow), Nate Karns: 60-day IL (forearm), Alex Cobb: 60-day IL (lumbar strain), Dylan Bundy: 10-day IL (knee), Mark Trumbo: 60-day IL (knee), Pedro Severino: day-to-day (illness).
Red Sox Injuries: Steven Wright: 10-day IL (toe), Brian Johnson: 10-day IL (undisclosed), Nathan Eovaldi: 60-day IL (elbow), Dustin Pedroia: 60-day IL (knee), Steve Pearce: 10-day IL (back), Mitch Moreland: 10-day IL (quad).
