video thumbnail

TEX@BAL: Hunter strikes out seven Rangers

The Red Sox are playing their best baseball this month and just at the right time, as Boston heads into Baltimore for a three-game series with a chance to make up some ground on the American League East leaders.

The Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 games after a 1-8 stretch. Boston has won two straight, including a 5-1 win in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. But the Red Sox are still 6 1/2 games behind the division-leading Orioles.

The O's (27-15) return to Camden Yards to begin a six-game homestand. The O's had a five-game win streak snapped on Sunday, losing on the road, 9-3, to the Nationals. Still, Baltimore owns the best record in the AL and swept the Red Sox in a three-game series May 4-6 at Fenway Park.

Boston hands the ball to Clay Buchholz on Monday looking for better results than the last time the right-hander faced the O's.

Buchholz lasted just 3 2/3 innings against Baltimore on May 6, allowing five runs on seven hits and surrendering three home runs in his shortest outing of 2012. Baltimore went on to win the game, 9-6, in 17 innings after Adam Jones launched a three-run homer off outfielder Darnell McDonald.

The right-hander has improved since then, and has allowed five earned runs in his last 11 1/3 innings over two starts. In his last outing on Wednesday against Tampa Bay, Buchholz struck out five in five innings thanks to an improved changeup.

"It was good. It's been a while since I've been able to throw it with some conviction and throw it on 2-2 counts, 1-2 counts to get a strikeout or anything like that," Buchholz said. "It's a big pitch for me."

Baltimore turns to Tommy Hunter, hoping for continued improvement from the right-hander. Hunter was demoted to Triple-A Norfolk on May 7, but returned to start on May 10.

Hunter solidified his spot in the rotation after going seven innings in his last outing, allowing two runs against the Royals.

He'll face the Red Sox for the second time in 2012. Hunter gave up five runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings on May 6 in a no-decision in Boston.

Red Sox: Aviles showing off power
Shortstop Mike Aviles launched his second leadoff home run in as many games on Sunday against the Phillies. He added an RBI single in the second inning.

Aviles has gone deep in each of his last three games and now has eight homers on the season.

"I think it goes in spurts," he said. "I've been feeling good for the past week. It's just about having confidence in yourself and you know the way the spurts go."

Aviles didn't have a leadoff home run in his career prior to Saturday's 7-5 win against the Phillies. But on Sunday he became the first Red Sox player since Harry Hooper in 1913 to hit leadoff homers in back-to-back games.

Orioles: Jones keeps on hitting
Adam Jones extended his hit streak to 12 games with an infield single in the ninth inning on Sunday.

The outfielder has a good chance of extending his season-best streak on Monday. Jones is 4-for-12 (.333) against Buchholz in his career with one home run, two doubles, six RBIs and two walks.

Jones leads the Orioles with 14 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .308 batting average. He's had three different hit streaks of at least 10 games this year, becoming the first player to record three such streaks in his team's first 40 games since Brian Roberts also did it for Baltimore in 2005.

Worth noting
• The Orioles are 8-6 in the first game of a series.

• The Red Sox have outscored opponents, 56-25, in their last 10 games.

• Boston is 11-10 on the road.

MLB.com Comments