Red Sox vs. Tigers Preview
DETROIT, MI (AP) – Clay Buchholz has been stellar for the Boston Red Sox this month. That included a strong outing against the Detroit Tigers.
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The right-hander looks to go undefeated in May and help the surging Red Sox to a sixth consecutive victory over the Tigers on Saturday night.
Though Buchholz (4-3, 3.30 ERA) has not factored in the decision of his last two starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in five May outings since losing at Baltimore on April 26. He’s gone at least seven innings in each of his last three outings, including 7 1-3 innings Monday when he allowed two runs and four hits in a 3-2 loss at Cleveland.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Red Sox -145 money line favorites for Saturday’s game against the Tigers. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 94% of more than 114 bets for this game have been placed on the Red Sox -145.
Buchholz was pulled after 94 pitches, 33 fewer than he threw in seven innings in his previous start against Detroit on May 18.
“We’ve got to take care of him,” manager Terry Francona told the Red Sox official website. “I think he’s smart enough to know that.”
Buchholz allowed four hits and struck out seven in that 1-0 home victory over the Tigers last week. He’s allowed three earned runs and 14 hits over 28 1-3 innings to go 1-1 in his last four starts versus Detroit. The victory came at Comerica Park on May 14, 2010, when he surrendered one run and three hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-2 win.
He will try to help the Red Sox (29-22) extend their overall winning streak to five games. Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford homered in a five-run third inning in Friday’s 6-3 victory as Boston has won 12 of 14 and totaled 34 runs the last three contests.
“Obviously, we are swinging the bats really well right now,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia, batting .318 his last five games. “We’re playing great baseball, but we know enough that we’re not going to get satisfied with ourselves.”
Boston, which won 14-1 in Thursday’s opener, has outscored Detroit 34-14 during its five-game series winning streak.
Ellsbury has homered in consecutive games and gone 6 for 12 with five RBIs his last three.
Adrian Gonzalez added two hits to extend his hitting streak to eight games. The Red Sox first baseman has hit .447 (17 for 38) with seven RBIs during that stretch.
Boston will get its first look at Detroit left-hander Andy Oliver, who was called up from the minors to make his 2011 debut Saturday in place of the injured Phil Coke.
Oliver, who went 0-4 with a 7.36 ERA in five starts for the Tigers last summer, was 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA for Triple-A Toledo.
“Oliver’s obviously a top prospect,” manager Jim Leyland told the Tigers’ official website. “Is he ready? I can’t answer that. This is one of those deals where if Coke hadn’t been injured, we wouldn’t be talking about this right now.”
Jhonny Peralta went 2 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs on Friday for the Tigers (25-25), who have dropped seven of 10. He’s batting .353 and hit seven of his eight homers in 20 games this month.
Peralta is 3 for 9 with a double versus Buchholz.
Leyland announced after Friday’s game that Ryan Raburn would be the new everyday second baseman after the team traded Scott Sizemore to Oakland earlier in the day. Raburn is hitting .200 this season, including 5 for 50 in May.
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