Red Sox Series Preview: @ Seattle Mariners

May 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher

(22) pitches during the first inning against Boston Red Sox at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Pitching Matchups @ Mariners (Safeco Field):

May 14th @ 10:10 PM ET

• Joe Kelly (1-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. Roenis Elias (0-1, 3.86 ERA)
• Elias is one of three lefty pitchers whom Boston will compete against in Seattle. In three starts Elias has struck out 19 opposing batters to walking 7, allowing 8 runs on 18 hits. While he has not given up more than 3 runs in any start, Elias has not had the run support to earn his first win with Seattle.
• Kelly has been suffering in his last 4 starts, allowing 21 runs. If Kelly has another game like that, Elias should have enough run support, finally, to earn his first win.

May 15th @ 10:10 PM ET

• Clay Buchholz (2-4, 5.73 ERA) vs. J.A. Happ (3-1, 3.29 ERA)
• The former Toronto Blue Jays lefty is no stranger to Boston. Happ’s consistency, except for the 6-run game against the Houston Astros, has been even better than last season, when he went 11-11 with a 4.22 ERA. Happ would flip-flop from good starts to bad starts. This season, in 5 of his last 6 starts, Happ has not allowed more than 2 runs in a game, pitching an average of 7 innings in a start.
• Buchholz does not show any of that same consistency. He has reached the sixth and seventh innings multiple times, but he has also been pulled in the third and fourth innings multiple times, as well. In his last game, Buchholz recorded the win, but also gave up 3 runs on 7 hits. Not terrible, but not dominating, especially for a supposed ‘ace’, if we should even use the term, anymore.

May 16th @ 9:10 PM ET

• Rick Porcello (3-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (6-0, 1.85 ERA)
• He’s King Felix for a reason. He had a complete-game shutout over the Minnesota Twins at the end of April. He has 50 strikeouts, to only 8 walks, in his last 10 appearances. The Red Sox will be in tough against one of the best and most dominating pitchers in our lifetime. He will also be the only righty pitcher whom the Red Sox will face in this series.
• Porcello’s last three starts have shown signs of turning the corner to greater success. He allowed only 1 run against the Blue Jays, he shut out the Tampa Bay Rays, and he held the Athletics to 3 runs in 5 innings, keeping his team in each of those games while earning 2 wins and a no-decision.

May 17th @ 4:10 PM ET

• TBD vs. James Paxton (1-2, 4.31 ERA)
• Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson will miss this scheduled start, while being placed on the disabled list with what is being called arm fatigue.
• Yet another lefty, Paxton has taken his Canadian arm fairly deep into games 5 times out of his last 7 starts. Paxton has allowed only 4 runs in his last three starts, including a blank against the San Diego Padres in 6 innings. His ERA ballooned in mid-April, against the Texas Rangers, giving up 7 runs on 10 hits; however, it looks like that disaster could be behind him.