Game 32: Athletics at Red Sox - Clay looks to Buch trend against Oakland

Ben Whitehead
Contributing writer

Steven Wright was terrific and the Red Sox lineup provided the fireworks in a series-salvaging win Sunday night against the Yankees. Now, Boston (18-13) returns home and John Farrell gives the ball to Clay Buchholz in hopes that he can continue where he left off in his last start against the White Sox.

Buchholz earned his first win of the season by going seven innings and allowing just two runs on three hits in Chicago. He is 1-3 with a 5.71 ERA and has a trend going of two bad starts, then one good start. Coming off the "good" start, he needs to show more positive consistency.

Oakland (14-18) is going with ace Sonny Gray on the bump. Gray is 3-3 with a 4.84 ERA and is coming off his worst statistical outing of the season. Gray allowed seven runs on 11 hits with two home runs in seven innings against Seattle. Prior to that, he only last two innings against Detroit, and he's given up at least one home run in four of his six starts.

Here is the Red Sox lineup (first pitch 7:10 pm EDT):

1. Mookie Betts, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Xander Bogaerts, SS
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Hanley Ramirez, 1B
6. Travis Shaw, 3B
7. Brock Holt, LF
8. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
9. Christian Vazquez, C

P Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.71 ERA)

RSL Notes

Ortiz in midst of remarkable farewell season
If this actually is David Ortiz's final season in MLB, he's going out in style. Ortiz blasted two home runs Sunday in New York, giving him nine on the season along with 12 doubles, 27 RBI, and a .308 average. He's slugging .673 and has a 1.066 OPS in his age 40 season. He has five multi-hit games in his last 10.

Pedroia loves SNB
As noted in Sunday's pregame post, Dustin Pedroia has been red hot during Sunday games this season and even hotter when the Red Sox have played on Sunday Night Baseball. Pedroia kept up that hot streak by hitting an opposite-field two-run home run in his first at-bat Sunday. Despite not getting a hit the rest of the night, Pedroia gave the spark the Sox needed, as Ortiz (2) and Xander Bogaerts followed suit to give Boston four ding dongs on the night.

By the numbers
Jackie Bradley Jr. has two hits, including a double, to up his league-leading hit streak to 14 games. ... Wright was one out away from a shutout before giving up a solo home run to Brett Gardner. Wright evened his record at 3-3 and lowered his ERA from 1.67 to 1.52.