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Red Sox-Orioles Preview

Aug 2, 2009 - 5:18 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Boston (60-42) at Baltimore (44-58), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Boston Red Sox are playing better since losing a season-high five in a row last month. The Baltimore Orioles have been a big reason for that improvement.

The surging Red Sox look for a fourth straight victory to conclude a three-game sweep of the last-place Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards.

Kevin Youkilis had four hits and Josh Beckett became the majors' first 13-game winner in Boston's 4-0 win over Baltimore on Saturday.

The Red Sox (61-42), who are one-half game behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees, are 6-3 since that five-game skid from July 18-22. Four of those victories are against the Orioles (44-59), who are 2-10 versus Boston this season.

In his first game since being traded by Cleveland on Friday, Victor Martinez drove in a run for Boston, which clinched its ninth straight series win over the Orioles and improved to 25-10 in Baltimore since Sept. 23, 2005.

Youkilis is 7 for 8 with two homers in this series and batting .419 (18 for 43) with five home runs and 13 RBIs versus the Orioles this season.

"Looks like he's starting to get hot. He's staying on pitches," Boston manager Terry Francona said of Youkilis.

Boston's lineup could get stronger if right fielder J.D Drew returns after missing the last two games with a sore right groin.

"It's aggravating," said Drew, who's 11 for 25 (.440) during a seven-game hitting streak. "I feel like I was feeling good at the plate."

Drew went 2 for 3 with a triple and home run off Baltimore rookie Jason Berken during a 4-0 road win over the Orioles on June 29.

Searching for his first victory since his debut on May 26, Berken (1-8, 6.21) gave up all four runs in five innings of that loss to the Red Sox.

The right-hander, who's 0-8 in his last 11 starts, may have preserved his spot in the rotation by limiting Kansas City to two runs and six hits in six innings of a 4-3, 11-inning loss to Kansas City on Tuesday.

Boston counters with Clay Buchholz (1-1, 3.52), who remains with the club despite being the subject of various trade rumors this week.

Making his fourth start of the season, Buchholz gave up two runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 9-8, 11-inning loss to Oakland on Tuesday.

"If the team loses, nobody really cares about how the starting pitcher did," Buchholz told the Red Sox official Web site.

The right-hander, who turns 25 this month, had the greatest moment of his young career when he no-hit Baltimore at Fenway Park on Sept. 1, 2007. Buchholz, though, has lost his last two starts versus the Orioles and has a 4.96 ERA against them in his career.

After going 0 for 4 in a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox on Friday, Adam Jones had two of the eight hits Saturday for Baltimore, which is averaging 3.6 runs against Boston this season.

The All-Star center fielder is 5 for 33 (.152) versus the Red Sox in 2009.

Brian Roberts, who's 4 for 9 with three RBIs versus Buchholz, is batting .353 (6 for 17) in his last four games against Boston.