Red Sox Series Preview: At Orioles – Round 2

Apr 19, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10) follows through on a three-run double against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Here we go, again!

After splitting the first four-game series, the Boston Red Sox are looking to take the win against the Baltimore Orioles, this time in Oriole Park.

The Red Sox are coming off of their first series loss of the season, falling short against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles just completed their series against the Toronto Blue Jays, being swept by the lone Canadian baseball franchise in three games.

Both teams will want to rectify their situations by beating on each others’ egos for the next three nights. Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape:

Apr 19, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Hanley Ramirez (13) is greeted at home by designated hitter David Ortiz (34) after his three-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Red Sox Key Players To Watch:

•  The suspension issue aside, David Ortiz has been struggling. In the last 10 games, Ortiz has 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. However, he has also been a fairly easy out, hitting .192 so far this season. Ortiz definitely still has the power (.702 slugging percentage), but if he cannot do better than hitting .118 in away games, he may continue to struggle. The big thing, whenever anyone speak of Ortiz, though, is that this is Big Papi. We’ve seen these struggles before. We’ve also seen him turn everything around to be one of the most dominant hitters in baseball.

• Center fielder Mookie Betts has been finding ways to contribute offensively and defensively, whether at the plate, on the bases, or in the field. The human highlight reel is second only to Hanley Ramirez for the team’s lead in RBIs (12 to 9). Don’t blink, or you might miss the next big moment in Betts history.

• Daniel Nava already had a bit of an advantage with being a lefty bat, but he should also appear often in the batting lineups because of Shane Victorino’s injury. If the pain persists, look for Nava to continue filling in the right field spot, especially in this series. While Rusney Castillo and Jackie Bradley Jr. continue to prove themselves in Triple-A Pawtucket, Allen Craig still suffering from whatever is ailing him at the plate, and Brock Holt helping out to give other players breaks in other positions, Nava will be the preferred choice in the series, if Victorino doesn’t play.

Apr 23, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10) is greeted in the dugout by teammates after scoring against Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Orioles Key Players To Watch:

•  Center fielder Adam Jones is a beast, and we don’t mean when barking at Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays about ‘the code’. Hitting .424, Jones has been a definite threat to all opposing pitchers. He has 5 home runs and 16 RBIs as a result of his .763 slugging percentage. Considering that he hits way better at home (.571) than away (.342), Jones will love having the home fans on his side as he has battles at the plate in this series.

• Chris Davis has severely struggled, as of late. He has 2 home runs and 7 RBIs for the season, but has also struck out 26 times. At a .232 batting average, the Red Sox will want to exploit Davis’ recent troubles for easy outs at the plate.

• Third baseman Manny Machado continues to be better and better as the season moves on, after recovering from a year-ending injury. In the last three games, Machado has 2 home runs and 6 RBIs, as his power has increased to a .418 slugging percentage. Considering he hits much better against righty pitchers than left-handed pitchers, look for Machado to try to impose his game plan against Porcello and Masterson.

Apr 20, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Predictions:

Game 1 Winner – Orioles

Game 2 Winner – Red Sox

Game 3 Winner – Red Sox

After the beating that Bud Norris suffered at the hands of the Blue Jays, his next appearance should be much of a difference, as there is no evidence to the contrary so far. With Miley wanting to build on his success, expect the Red Sox bats to give Norris another loss, possibly with a large margin of victory for Boston. The same should be said for Game 2, but it should be closer, as Masterson has still not shown shutdown potential, yet. And with the bullpen giving up runs lately, there is no assurances that pulling Masterson while he’s ahead would be a good option. Porcello needs to have much more consistency if he expects to win tonight. Considering his last outing was against the same Orioles, where he gave up 12 hits and 8 earned runs, don’t expect that to happen easily.

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