Cold Night Awaits Padres, Red Sox at Fenway Park

BOSTON (Interstat) — Two teams seeking an early spark will meet under the lights on a frigid Friday afternoon at Fenway Park when the San Diego Padres visit the Boston Red Sox to open a three-game series.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT with a game-time temperature forecast near 38 degrees and cloudy skies.

The Padres (2-4) arrive after snapping a three-game skid with a 7-1 win over San Francisco on Wednesday. Right-hander Nick Pivetta, a former Red Sox pitcher, starred in that victory, tossing five shutout innings with one hit and eight strikeouts. He is a player to watch this series, though he is not scheduled to start Friday.

San Diego’s probable starter is right-hander Michael King (0-0), who will make his season debut. The Padres’ rotation also lists Sonny Gray (0-0) as a potential starter for the series.

They will face a Boston lineup that has struggled out of the gate, with the Red Sox (1-5) dropping five of their first six, including a three-game sweep in Houston. Lefty Garrett Crochet (0-1, 3.60 ERA) is Boston’s probable starter. He was dominant in his first outing, a 3-0 win at Cincinnati on March 26, but took the loss Wednesday after allowing four runs over five innings against the Astros.

Both clubs have found runs scarce early. The Padres have scored three or fewer runs in four of their six games, while the Red Sox have been held to two runs or fewer in four of their six contests.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, the Padres are projected for a 3-2 victory. San Diego has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under is set at 8.5 runs.

Following this series, the Padres continue a road trip in Pittsburgh, while the Red Sox will host Milwaukee before embarking on a six-game trip to St. Louis and Minnesota.