Boston has won five in a row and seven of eight on its current nine-game homestand. It's a good time for the club to make hay, as 32 of their next 48 games are on the road.
The Sox overcame a season-high four errors in Saturday's 5-4 win, the decisive run scoring on a Dustin Pedroia single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Clay Buchholz will aim for his 10th win of the season Sunday opposite Hiroki Kuroda.
WHEN AND WHERE
Dodgers (38-30) at Red Sox (42-28)
Sunday, June 20, 8:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Fenway Park, Boston
HEAD TO HEAD
The Sox are 4-1 all-time against the Dodgers at home.
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Hiroki Kuroda (6-4, 3.10 ERA) vs. RHP Clay Buchholz (9-4, 2.67 ERA)
Buchholz will be making his 50th career major league appearance and second in interleague play. The first time he faced a NL team five days ago at Fenway Park, Buchholz picked up a win over Arizona after giving up three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
While he has been the Sox' best pitcher most of the year, Buchholz has leveled off a bit of late. After giving up just four runs in 36 1/3 innings over a personal five-game winning streak, he has surrendered six in 12 2/3 frames over his last two starts.
Kuroda, 35, has a 1.50 ERA in three starts in June, holding opponents to a .212 average (14-for-66). He has never faced Boston but is 1-5 with a 4.89 ERA in six interleague starts.
LINEUPS
| Dodgers | Red Sox |
|---|---|
| Matt Kemp, CF Andre Ehtier, RF Manny Ramirez, DH James Lone, 1B Garret Anderson, LF Casey Blake, 3B Russell Martin, C Blake Dewitt, 2B Jamey Carroll, SS |
Marco Scutaro, SS Dustin Pedroia, 2B David Oriz, DH Kevin Youkilis, 1B Victor Martinez, C Adrian Beltre, 3B Daniel Nava, LF Mike Cameron, CF Darnel McDonald, RF |
STAT SHEET
Red Sox
- Tim Wakefield made his 200th career start at Fenway Park on Saturday, tying Roger Clemens for the most in the ballpark's history.
- Boston won Saturday despite making a season-high four errors.
- Catcher Victor Martinez is 23-for-57 (.404) with 13 RBIs in his last 15 games.
Dodgers
- Manny Ramirez's home run Saturday was his first as a visitor in Fenway Park since April 20, 1998, off Butch Henry.
- Left-handed batters are 0-for-22 with 11 strikeouts against Hong-Chih Kuo.
- Outfielder Garret Anderson is 17-for-34 (.500) with three homers and 13 RBIs in his last nine games at Fenway Park.
BLACK AND BLUE
Red Sox
- Daisuke Matsuzaka threw a 49-pitch simulated game Saturday and will be activated Thursday to start in Colorado. He is on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm strain.
- Outfielder Jeremy Hermida was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 11 after an MRI revealed five fractured ribs, the result of a collision with third baseman Adrian Beltre one week earlier.
- An MRI conducted June 9 revealed a new fracture in outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury's ribs. Ellsbury, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 28 for the second time this year, went to the Athletes' Performance center in Arizona last week for at least two weeks of rest and recovery.
- Josh Beckett is expected to throw long toss soon and may finish the session with 10 pitches from a mound. Beckett remains on the DL with a lower back strain.
- Infielder Jed Lowrie remains on the DL after coming down with mononucleosis during spring training.
- Righty Junichi Tazawa underwent Tommy John surgery in March. He is out for the year.
Dodgers
- Right-hander Chad Billingsley went on the 15-day disabled list with a right groin strain, retroactive to June 12.
- Shortstop Rafael Furcal was placed on the bereavement list Thursday.
OUTLOOK
The way things have gone of late, you almost expect someone to step up for the Sox. And with the brutal stretch of road games on the horizon, including six in NL parks where there will be no designated hitter, it would be nice to end the long homestand on a good note.
