Game 43: Tigers at Red Sox - Peavy looking to bounce-back, avoid sweep

Ben Whitehead
Contributing Writer

Boston will try to salvage the series with a win in the Sunday night finale against Detroit. The Red Sox have lost each of the first two games to the AL-best Tigers. Detroit beat the Sox two best pitchers, Jon Lester and John Lackey.

Jake Peavy takes the ball for Game 3. Peavy is 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in eight starts this season. The Red Sox are 1-2 in his last two starts, including a short outing in Minnesota last time out. He gave up six runs on nine hits, his worst start of the season. In his lifetime, Peavy is 4-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 12 starts against the Tigers. Last year in the ALCS, Peavy allowed seven runs on five hits in three innings, a Game 4 loss which evened the series at 2-2.

Here is the Red Sox (20-22) lineup for tonight's game (first pitch - 8:05 pm ET):

1) Pedroia, 2B
2) Victorino, RF
3) Ortiz, DH
4) Napoli, 1B
5) Sizemore, LF
6) Pierzynski, C
7) Bogaerts, SS
8) Holt, 3B
9) Bradley Jr., CF

Peavy, P

The Tigers (26-12) will start Anibal Sanchez, who is 0-2 with a 3.13 ERA this year. Detroit has lost his last three starts. Sanchez last pitched against Boston in Game 1 of the 2013 ALCS, when he struck out 12 and allowed no hits in six innings.

Close, but no cigar
The Red Sox have played in 15 one-run games, the most in the American League. However, they have a 5-10 record in those games, among the league's worst.

Papi extends streak to 10
David Ortiz went 1-for-4 Saturday to up his season-long hitting streak to 10 games. Big Papi is 19-for-40 (.475 AVG) with five homers, three doubles, eight RBI and nine runs scored during the streak. Ortiz has hit safely in 15 of the team's 16 games in the month of May.

Home continues to be not so sweet
The Tigers have as many wins away from home as the Red Sox have at home. Boston is now 10-13 at Fenway Park this season. Detroit is 13-4 on the road.

Up next
The Red Sox get their fourth straight Monday off -and fifth in the last six weeks - before hosting the Toronto Blue Jays. Boston won't get another Monday off until the All-Star Break. After the series with the Jays, Boston heads south to Tampa Bay for a three-game set, then begins a four-game, home-and-home split series with Atlanta.

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