Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
BOSTON (Interstat) — The Boston Red Sox aim to complete a four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday evening at Fenway Park, where rain is in the forecast with a game-time temperature of 76 degrees.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
Right-hander Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.78 ERA) gets the start for Tampa Bay (56-41), which leads the American League East by 5 1/2 games over the New York Yankees. Gray has been the staff ace, but the Rays have lost three straight entering the series finale. Boston (49-48) is 5 1/2 games back of the final wild-card spot.
The Red Sox have taken the first three games of this four-game set, outscoring Tampa Bay 22-9. On Saturday, Boston rallied for a 7-6 victory, fueled by Wilyer Abreu’s two-homer, three-RBI night. Abreu, the Red Sox’s right fielder, is 4 for 7 with four homers and six RBIs in the series and has hit safely in six of his last eight games.
Tampa Bay’s bullpen, a club strength, will be tested. Reliever Kevin Kelly has been dominant, allowing no earned runs in 7 1/3 innings over his last four appearances. He threw two scoreless innings Saturday, striking out two. Kelly has not surrendered an earned run in nine of his last 10 outings dating to June 21.
Boston’s offense has averaged 6.7 runs per game over its last nine contests, all wins. The Red Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 overall.
The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-4 Boston victory. The Red Sox are listed as -1.5 favorites, with the over/under set at 7.5 runs.
Following Sunday’s game, the Rays travel to Toronto for a four-game series beginning Monday. Boston hosts Baltimore for three games starting Monday.