Orioles Look To Further Bury Last Place BoSox
(AP) -- A long overdue offensive outburst from the Boston Red Sox seems to have put their long losing streak firmly behind them.
Those problems, however, could again crop up Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles, who sent the Red Sox into a tailspin with a dominant sweep earlier this month.
Boston (31-40) was outscored 47-28 over a seven-game losing streak June 9-15 but has averaged 6.7 runs while winning four of six since.
That offensive surge continued Sunday with 16 hits and three homers in a 13-2 win against Kansas City. Mookie Betts finished a single short of the cycle and David Ortiz hit his 476th career home run to move past Stan Musial for 29th all-time.
"I think just the extra-base abilities, up and down the lineup, is starting to come through a little bit more regularly," manager John Farrell told MLB's official website. "We're swinging the bat with more authority, and certainly more like the capability this team has."
Hanley Ramirez was 4 for 20 during the losing streak but has regained his form with two home runs and four RBIs in his last three.
Boston's skid began against the Orioles (36-33), who won all three games in Baltimore as part of an MLB-best 11-3 record since June 7. Their 6.7 runs per game in that time ranks behind only Toronto, though they took two of three from the Blue Jays over the weekend and won 13-9 on Sunday.
Manny Machado has led the charge in that span with a .448 average, five homers and 18 runs, while J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis, Jimmy Paredes and Travis Snider each have eight RBIs.
Joe Kelly (2-4, 5.32 ERA) will be tasked with slowing that pace. The right-hander has won only once in his last 12 starts, though he's pitched effectively with a 3.27 ERA in the previous four. He's been nearly as effective in three career outings against Baltimore (3.32). Kelly allowed four hits and two runs against the Orioles on April 17, but did not factor into the decision of a 3-2 victory.
Ubaldo Jimenez (5-3, 3.27), who again opposed Kelly on Tuesday, started for the Orioles in that contest and was ejected after hitting Pablo Sandoval in the fourth inning. Jimenez walked three but had not yet surrendered a hit before exiting the game.
The right-hander emerged victorious in each of his last two outings, allowing three runs in five innings of an 11-3 win over the New York Yankees on June 12, then topping Philadelphia with 6 2-3 innings and four runs allowed in a 6-4 win Wednesday.
Adam Jones is 15 for 39 (.385) with nine RBIs against the Red Sox this season, but remains questionable Tuesday after missing four of Baltimore's last six games with a sore right shoulder. He has not played the field since last Monday.
"He's a little sore today, which now makes me wonder. ... It's not from the swings. It's from the activity, diving into the base," manager Buck Showalter said. "I want to take the benefit of a full day (Monday) and see what we got Tuesday."
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
