Oakland @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( May 13, 2015 ) Boston 2, Oakland 0

The Oakland Athletics are not ready to start selling yet and are trying to jump back into the race in the American League West with a successful road trip. The A’s aim for a fifth straight victory when they visit the struggling Boston Red Sox for the opener of their three-game series on Friday.

Oakland owns the worst record in the AL but can relinquish it to the Red Sox with a successful weekend. The A’s dropped to 14-30 with a loss at Tampa Bay on May 22 but have since won nine of 12 after sweeping a three-game series from the Detroit Tigers to begin their six-game road trip. Boston had a chance to clinch a winning series over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday but continues to find new ways to lose, squandering a four-run lead in an 8-4 loss that saw the Twins erupt for four in the ninth. The setback gave the Red Sox eight losses in their last 11 games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Scott Kazmir (2-3, 2.93 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Wade Miley (4-5, 4.97)

Kazmir is set to return after exiting his outing on May 27 with shoulder tightness and is looking to snap an eight-start winless streak. The 31-year-old did not go more than six innings in any of his last six turns and issued at least three walks in each of the last four. That stretch includes a start against Boston on May 11 in which Kazmir was charged with two runs on four hits and four walks in six frames without factoring in the decision.

Miley had his run of three straight wins come to an end at Texas on Saturday, when he was knocked around for six runs - five earned - on nine hits and two walks in four innings. The abbreviated outing snapped a string of five straight starts in which Miley worked at least six frames. The Louisiana native began his winning streak at Oakland on May 13 as he scattered five hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval made a pair of errors on Thursday and went 0-for-4 at the plate to drop to 1-for-20 in his last six games.

2. A’s C/1B Stephen Vogt exited Thursday’s game in the ninth inning due to leg cramps but plans to play Friday.

3. Boston took two of three in Oakland from May 11-13.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Red Sox 2