The Arizona Diamondbacks (29-21) will be trying to pick up their fifth consecutive series win when they face the Boston Red Sox (26-24) in the second game of their three-game interleague series on Saturday night.
Garrett Whitlock, 1-2, 6.19 ERA, will get the start for the Red Sox. The Diamondbacks have not announced their starter for the game.
Boston is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Arizona.
**This preview was written before Friday’s game was played**
The Red Sox haven’t played well on their current road trip, losing four of their first six games. They will try to turn things around with a win over the Diamondbacks, which will give them their third win in their last seven games.
Boston is averaging 5.24 runs per game. Their .262 batting average is sixth in the league. Their .332 on base percentage is also sixth, while their .433 slugging percentage is seventh.
Masataka Yoshida leads Boston with a .299 batting average, while Rafael Devers leads the team with 13 home runs and 44 RBI.
Boson’s pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 5.10 runs per game. Opponents have a .255 batting average against the Red Sox, which is 24th in the league. Their 4.82 ERA is 25th, while their 1.34 WHIP is 21st.
In his last start, Whitloc k gave up eight hits and five runs in four innings, leading to a 5-4 loss to Milwaukee. They will need a better performance from him if they want to win this game.