Orioles Head North To Begin Two-Game Series Against Red Sox

By SportsDirect Inc.

It may only be a week into the regular season, but the early story of the Boston Red Sox's campaign has been manager John Farrell's inability to fill out a lineup card in the way he had hoped during spring training. One day after placing Jackie Bradley Jr. on the disabled list, the Red Sox expect to get back Xander Bogaerts from bereavement leave on Tuesday as they return home to begin a two-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.Farrell told reporters Monday the clubhouse at Fenway Park was fumigated and disinfected a few times while Boston was visiting Detroit over the weekend in an effort to fight a flu bug that has sidelined Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts while also sending reliever Robbie Ross to the disabled list. To add further insult to injury, Bradley joined Ross on the 10-day DL on Monday after learning he suffered a right knee sprain, while Bogaerts' return from Aruba was delayed a day when his flight never was cleared for takeoff Sunday night. The Orioles took a day off Monday to lick their wounds after becoming the last major-league team to suffer a loss in Sunday's 7-3 setback against the New York Yankees. Baltimore's dominant bullpen imploded in that defeat, as its relievers were charged with every run - including four in the ninth inning to Darren O'Day.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (1-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Drew Pomeranz (2016: 11-12, 3.32)

Bundy allowed one run and four singles while registering eight strikeouts over seven innings in a win against Toronto on Wednesday. The fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft threw 69 of his 99 pitches for strikes and did not issue a walk as he limited the Blue Jays to one hit outside of a stretch in the third inning, when he gave up three straight. Bundy went 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in six games (three starts) versus Boston last season and struggled against the two hitters he has faced the most: Bogaerts (4-for-12) and Dustin Pedroia (5-for-11).

Pomeranz originally was slated to make his season debut over the weekend in Detroit before a rainout on Thursday curtailed that plan, so he will draw his first start in the opener of this series instead after dealing with a flexor strain and a triceps issue during the spring. The 28-year-old struggled at Fenway after arriving from San Diego in a mid-July trade, going 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in seven appearances (six starts). One of those poor home outings came in his lone 2016 start versus the Orioles, as he gave up five runs - including a pair of homers - over only two innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles CF Adam Jones and 1B Chris Davis have homered in the same game 36 times since becoming teammates in 2011 - the highest total for any teammates over that span.

2. Boston is the only team that has yet to allow a stolen base, as Cs Sandy Leon (three) and Christian Vazquez (one) have thrown out the runner on each of their four attempts.

3. All seven of the runs Baltimore's bullpen has allowed in 20 2/3 innings this season came in Sunday's loss to the Yankees.

PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Red Sox 3