The Red Sox are getting healthy and finally getting the spark they need to acquire some consistency heading into the mid-point of the MLB season. Mike Napoli made an immediate impact upon getting re-inserted into the lineup. Jack Peavy is expected to do the same with the pitching rotation. Both of those players will be relied on as the Red Sox face off against the Baltimore Orioles in a three game series.
Napoli came back in a big way for Boston. He went 3 for 4 with a home run on Sunday in a win against the Detroit Tigers. Napoli has been on the bench since May 23 after injuring a finger. He is even better when facing Baltimore. Napoli is 9 for 27 against the team with seven RBIs in his last seven games against the Orioles while David Ortiz is hitting .412 in his last eight games against Baltimore. They played a big part in Boston snapping a five-game losing skid. They had previously won seven straight games.
The Red Sox will rely on Jake Peavy to get momentum back together. He is 1-3 with a 4.72 ERA, but is 0-3 in his last seven starts. That is his longest losing streak since 2006. In his last five starts, he has a 7.04 ERA. He recently gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings against Cleveland. Against the Orioles, he gave up five runs and 10 hits back in April.
The Orioles are facing the possible suspension of Manny Machado after a bench-clearing fight. However, the pitching rotation is the main focus as starters are posting a 7.80 ERA over the last five games. Bud Norris gets the start after being 4-5 with a 4.41 ERA. Against Boston, he is just 0-2 with a 4.56 ERA in four starts.
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