Red Sox Open Final Leg of 10-Game Road Trip Against Joel Pineiro in Anaheim

The Red Sox limp down the West Coast to Anaheim to begin a three-game series with the Angels on Monday night.

After taking the first two games in Seattle late last week, the Sox dropped a pair of frustrating contests over the weekend. They have scored only five runs in three games and have been getting little help in low-scoring affairs from a struggling bullpen.

Boston is 3-4 on its road trip and now six games behind wild card-leading Tampa Bay in the loss column.

Clay Buchholz goes for the Sox in his second game since returning from the DL.

Boston swept four straight from Los Angeles back in May at Fenway Park.

WHEN AND WHERE

HEAD TO HEAD

PITCHING MATCHUP

It was a bit of a struggle for Buchholz in his comeback start Wednesday in Oakland. In his shortest outing of the season that did not include an injury, he gave up five runs in four innings.

The 25-year-old was reached for four runs on eight hits in only 5 2/3 innings against Anaheim on May 3 at home, but was bolstered by a 20-hit attack in a 17-8 rout. He is 2-2 with a 6.35 ERA in four career starts vs. the Angels.

Pineiro is the team’s unlikely leader in wins but is coming off his worst outing in two months. The one-time Red Sox reliever was reached for six runs on 11 hits in six innings of a 10-6 loss to the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

In a 3-1 loss to the Sox on May 5, Pineiro allowed just two runs in eight innings. The outing left him 3-6 with a 5.94 ERA in his career against Boston.

LINEUPS

STAT SHEET

• First baseman Kevin Youkilis is 18-for-37 (.486) over his last 10 games.
• The Sox have scored four runs or fewer in 11 of their last 12 games.
• Reliever Manny Delcarmen has an ERA of 29.45 in his last seven appearances.

Angels

• Designated hitter Hideki Matsui has three home runs in a five-game stretch.
• Outfielder Bobby Abreu is hitting .192 (14-for-73) in July.
• LA’s bullpen entered Sunday with a 4.51 ERA, 13th in the American League.

BLACK AND BLUE

• Second baseman Dustin Pedroia (broken left foot) has started to swing and perform strengthening exercises. He will be examined again on Monday in Los Angeles.
• Catcher Jason Varitek remains on crutches and is a couple of weeks behind Pedroia in terms of his recovery from a broken left foot.
• Catcher Victor Martinez caught Tim Wakefield‘s bullpen session Thursday and Clay Buchholz‘s on Saturday. He will serve as the bullpen catcher Sunday and could return as soon as Monday.
• Outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury has begun to take live batting practice as he continues to rehab from a broken rib in Fort Myers. Manager Terry Francona said there is a chance Ellsbury begins playing in minor league games this week.
• Mike Lowell is 5-for-14 with three doubles and two RBIs in three rehab games at Pawtucket. He is expected to play a few more games with the PawSox while recovering from right hip pain.
• Righty Junichi Tazawa underwent Tommy John surgery in March. He is out for the year.

Angels

• Lefty Scott Kazmir is on the DL with shoulder fatigue. An MRI showed no structural damage.
• Right-handed reliever Jason Bulger has been sidelined with a strained right shoulder since early June.
• Fellow righty Brian Stokes is also out with shoulder issues. He had a rehab assignment shut down in early June and has only played catch this month.
• Right-hander Matt Palmer began a rehab assignment in the Arizona League on July 12. He is on the DL with a sprained right shoulder.
• First baseman Kendry Morales is out for the year with a broken left leg.

OUTLOOK