Brewers vs. Red Sox Preview
BOSTON (AP) – After scoring with ease in the series opener, Boston’s potent lineup had some trouble in its second game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Red Sox could again run into problems in the finale.
In a matchup of division leaders, the Red Sox try to bounce back Sunday against Brewers scheduled starter Yovani Gallardo, who has yielded two runs or fewer in seven of his last eight outings.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog have made the Red Sox -105 money line favorites for Sunday’s game against the Brewers. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 1,478 bets for this game have been placed on the Red Sox -105.
After Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum left after one inning of Friday’s series opener with a left hip flexor, Boston (42-28) scored eight runs off the Brewers bullpen en route to a 10-4 victory.
The Red Sox were unable to duplicate that performance Saturday against Randy Wolf, who threw seven stellar innings to lead Milwaukee to a 4-2 win.
It was rare feeble offensive showing by Boston, which owns a 1 1/2-game lead over New York in the AL East. The Red Sox, who lead the majors in runs scored, had averaged 7.7 while winning 12 of their previous 13 games.
“Obviously, with the way we’ve been swinging the bats lately, I thought for sure if I just kept them where they were at we’d have a chance,” said Boston starter Jon Lester, who failed to become the majors’ first 10-game winner. “But you’ve got to tip your hat to Randy Wolf. He threw the ball better than I did.”
Adrian Gonzalez, the major league leader with 62 RBIs, went 0 for 4 Saturday, failing to get a hit for just the second time in nine games.
Making things a bit more difficult for Boston’s offense, Carl Crawford was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Saturday’s game with a strained left hamstring.
Even if the Red Sox were at full strength, they could have trouble against Gallardo (8-3, 3.76 ERA).
Since May 7, Gallardo has the NL’s fourth-best ERA at 1.90, and has posted a 1.33 ERA in four road starts.
Gallardo allowed one run, three hits and two walks while striking out a season-high 10 in seven innings at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. The right-hander departed with the Brewers leading 4-1 – poised to win for the seventh time in eight starts – but Chicago rallied for a 5-4, 10-inning victory.
“I was able to mix my pitches a little better than my last start,” said Gallardo, who has never faced Boston. “You’ve just got to take that as a good thing and keep moving forward.”
Milwaukee (40-32), one game ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central, snapped a six-game losing streak to the Red Sox on Saturday, winning for just the second time in the last 13 games in the series.
Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning and backup catcher George Kottaras added a solo shot in the third. The Brewers, who avoided their fifth loss in six games, are 8-0 when Hart drives in at least one run.
Milwaukee’s offense will now face Tim Wakefield (3-2, 4.39), who gave up two runs, four hits and a season-high five walks in seven innings of a 4-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The 44-year-old knuckleballer, who had not thrown more than 98 pitches in any of his previous 15 outings this season, threw 119 – his most since 2003.
Wakefield, four wins shy of 200 for his career, has won five consecutive decisions over the Brewers since losing in Milwaukee on the final day of the 1995 season. The right-hander is 5-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Brewers, but has only faced them twice since 1997, Milwaukee’s last season in the AL.
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