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Manny Ramirez started to heat up at the plate late last month, and he’s been red hot while David Ortiz recovers from a wrist injury.
Looking to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, Ramirez also will try to homer in his fourth consecutive contest against the Baltimore Orioles when they meet the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Boston -209 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 77% of bets for this game have been placed on Boston -209 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
The Red Sox (40-26) are 3-3 against the Orioles this year, and their record versus Baltimore could be worse if not for Ramirez, who’s hitting .345 (10-for-29) with three doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs and six runs in the season series.
Ramirez was batting .280 on May 24, but a three-hit game the next night in Oakland started a streak in which he’s hitting .380 (19-for-50) with six homers and 19 RBI, leading Boston to a 9-4 record and the AL East lead.
He hit his 500th career homer off Baltimore’s Chad Bradford on May 31, and since taking over at designated hitter for Ortiz the next day, Ramirez is 11-for-26. He leads Boston with 14 homers and 47 RBIs.
Three of Ramirez’s four career hits off Baltimore’s scheduled Tuesday starter, Daniel Cabrera (5-2, 3.98 ERA), have been solo homers. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in his last three games, although one of those outings came against the Red Sox on May 30, when he pitched seven innings of two-run ball and didn’t get a decision in the Orioles’ 5-2 loss.
Cabrera, tied with Garrett Olson for the team lead in wins, gave up a season high-tying six runs in eight innings of a 7-5 defeat at Minnesota on Wednesday.
"He didn’t look comfortable," Baltimore manager Dave Trembley told the Orioles’ official Web site. "I thought maybe after the second inning he was going to find his groove, somewhat. It just didn’t happen for him."
Cabrera is 0-3 with an 8.41 ERA in four career starts at Fenway Park.
Josh Beckett (6-4, 4.07) will make his third start of the season against Baltimore. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA versus the Orioles in 2008, but has struck out 15 in 11 2-3 innings.
Beckett improved to 4-0 at home this year by beating Tampa Bay on Wednesday. He gave up one run and seven hits over six innings of a 5-1 win, dropping his ERA at Fenway by nearly a run to 4.55.
"(Beckett) was not always as crisp as we’ve seen, but (we) did see the side of Beckett not giving in," Boston manager Terry Francona told the Red Sox’s official Web site.
Beckett is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two career starts at Fenway against Baltimore.
Boston has been sizzling at home, winning 15 of its last 16 including a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Sunday. Rookie Justin Masterson pitched six strong innings and J.D. Drew, who leads the Red Sox with a .318 average, hit the go-ahead homer in the sixth.
Baltimore (31-31) failed to record its first three-game sweep in Toronto in more than three years Sunday, falling 5-4 to the Blue Jays. Luke Scott, who homered twice off Toronto ace Roy Halladay, is hitting .474 (9-for-19) with two homers and five RBIs against Boston this season.
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