Padres vs. Red Sox Preview
BOSTON (AP) – The personal success Adrian Gonzalez enjoyed during his previous five seasons with the San Diego enabled him to earn a lucrative deal with the Boston Red Sox.
Gonzalez faces his former team Monday night when the Red Sox host the struggling Padres, who look to avoid a season-high sixth straight loss.
From 2006-2010, Gonzalez hit .288 and averaged 32 home runs with 100 RBIs for San Diego. Because of financial constraints and Gonzalez’s pending free agency, the Padres traded the three-time All-Star to Boston for three prospects in December.
According to MLB odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog have made the Red Sox -185 money line favorites for Monday’s game against the Padres. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 73% of more than 772 bets for this game have been placed on the Red Sox -185.
He signed a $154 million, seven-year contract with the Red Sox in April, and has backed it up by leading the majors with a .348 average and 64 RBIs to go with 15 home runs. Gonzalez had two RBIs and recorded his 1,000th hit in Sunday’s 12-3 win over Milwaukee.
Gonzalez has hit .424 with 18 RBIs on a current stretch where the Red Sox (43-28) have averaged 7.6 runs and won 13 of 15.
“He’s having a great season so far. It doesn’t surprise me. That’s why he’s an All-Star player,” Gonzalez’s former manager Bud Black told the Padres’ official website. “I think it’s been documented well that his game sets up for (Fenway Park), with the left field wall.”
Gonzalez will face former teammate Wade LeBlanc (0-2, 4.26 ERA) for the first time, when the left-hander makes his second start for the Padres since being recalled from the minors Tuesday to take the place of the injured Aaron Harang. He allowed three runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss at Colorado on Tuesday.
LeBlanc, 1-3 with a 7.46 ERA in six interleague starts, will try to cool Dustin Pedroia, who has hit .413 with 13 RBIs his last 12 games to raise his average 30 points to .269.
Teammate David Ortiz is batting .490 with four homers and 11 RBIs during a 13-game home hitting streak.
Making their first trip to Fenway since 2004, the Padres (30-43) are 3-6 against Boston and look to avoid an eighth consecutive interleague loss Monday. San Diego fell to 0-6 in interleague play this season with a 5-4 defeat at Minnesota on Sunday.
Ryan Ludwick and Chase Headley each had two hits with an RBI but the Padres blew a two-run lead and lost for eighth time in nine games.
“That’s unfortunate when things are going the way they are,” Headley said. “We’re not playing well enough where we can overcome a mistake.”
Headley, batting .480 (12 for 25) his last six games, is 2 for 3 with a double against scheduled Red Sox starter Andrew Miller.
Called up to make his 2011 debut in place of the injured Clay Buchholz, Miller was 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 games for Triple-A Pawtucket.
“We’re hoping to see exactly what he was doing in Triple-A – pound the strike zone,” manager Terry Francona said of Miller, who went 1-5 with an 8.78 ERA in seven starts for Florida in 2010.
The left-hander is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA against the Padres, but has not faced them since 2008.
Miller could face prized rookie Anthony Rizzo, whom the Padres received in the Gonzalez deal. The first baseman is 4 for 27 with a homer in 10 games since being called up June 9.
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