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Orioles-Red Sox Preview

Apr 24, 2010 - 4:33 AM By MATT BROWN STATS Editor

Baltimore (2-14) at Boston (6-10), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Boston Red Sox may have their problems, but they always seem to be able to get well against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Red Sox seek their second straight win and try to extend Baltimore's miserable start Saturday night when the bottom two clubs in the AL East continue their weekend series at Fenway Park.

Boston (7-10) has stumbled out of the gate and is below .500 through 17 games for the first time since opening 3-14 in 1996. Given those struggles, the Orioles may have arrived in town just in time.

Friday night's series-opening 4-3 win was Boston's ninth straight over Baltimore and improved the Red Sox to 61-17 against the Orioles since Sept. 3, 2005.

All opponents have been dominating Baltimore this April. The Orioles (2-15) have dropped four straight, are off to their worst start since losing their first 21 in 1988, and need to win the final two games in Boston to avoid dropping their sixth consecutive series.

That may be a tall order with John Lackey (1-1, 5.63 ERA) on the mound for the Red Sox on Saturday. The right-hander is 8-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 12 starts against Baltimore, pitching at least 6 2-3 innings and allowing three runs or fewer in nine straight outings since the start of the 2004 season.

Lackey, though, is seeking to bounce back from his first poor outing in a Boston uniform. After limiting opponents to two runs over 12 2-3 innings in his first two starts, the offseason free-agent acquisition surrendered eight runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings of Monday's 8-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

The Red Sox weren't spectacular Friday, stranding seven baserunners and scoring the winning run only after struggling Orioles closer Jim Johnson walked Adrian Beltre with the bases loaded in the eighth.

"You can't do that at the end of a game," said Johnson, who's 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA and two blown saves in three opportunities filling in for the injured Mike Gonzalez. "I'm trying to throw the ball down the middle of the plate and it's not going there. You can't defend the walk. That's the worst thing that can happen."

The best sign for Boston may have been the performance of David Ortiz.

Off to his second straight dreadful start, the former All-Star slugger made the most of his return to the lineup after a two-game absence, hitting his first home run of the season to raise his average to a still-paltry .159.

Ortiz didn't hit his first homer of 2009 until May 20. With capable veteran Mike Lowell lurking on the bench, this year's Red Sox probably won't be as patient for their long-time designated hitter to right the ship.

"You can tell he's getting a lot better," catcher Victor Martinez said. "You can see it in his (batting practice)."

Lowell might start in favor of the left-handed Ortiz on Saturday as Baltimore sends rookie southpaw Brian Matusz (2-0, 4.34) to the hill. The highly touted 23-year-old has earned the Orioles' only two wins, beating Tampa Bay on April 8 and defeating Oakland 8-3 on Sunday. He gave up three runs over 6 1-3 innings against the Athletics, improving to 7-2 in 11 career starts.

Matusz has never faced the Red Sox.