Cleveland @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 4, 2014 ) Boston 4, Cleveland 7

The Boston Red Sox are happy to return home following a disastrous road trip and are hoping to find a few more hits in their own park. The Red Sox try to avoid a third shutout this week when they open a four-game series against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Thursday. The Indians swept Boston at home last week and had won nine of 10 before dropping two at Kansas City on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Red Sox managed a total of nine runs in the three games at Cleveland last week and carried that general lack of offense through series losses at Detroit and Baltimore while putting together a 2-7 road trip. Boston went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position while totaling one run in three games at Baltimore to close out the trip. The Indians rode the high of Lonnie Chisenhall through a strong series at Texas, and the 25-year-old kept up the pace even when his teammates fell off against the Royals. Chisenhall ran his streak of multi-hit performances to five with two hits on Wednesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLBN, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Josh Tomlin (4-2, 3.12 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (6-7, 3.52)

Tomlin missed the Red Sox last week but started at Texas on Saturday and allowed three runs over eight innings to pick up a win. The Texas native has yielded three or fewer earned runs in each of his first seven starts since coming back from surgery. Tomlin is 1-1 with a 7.17 ERA in four career-games – three starts – against Boston.

Lester struggled through one of his worst starts of the season at Detroit on Saturday, getting knocked around for five runs on 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings. The 30-year-old entered that outing among the league leaders in strikeouts but failed to fan a batter for the first time this year. Lester never has had much trouble against Cleveland, going 6-1 with a 3.43 ERA in 13 career starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox SS Stephen Drew (oblique) has missed the last three games and remains day-to-day.

2. Indians LF Michael Brantley is 6-for-10 with six runs scored in his last three games.

3. Boston manager John Farrell on Wednesday officially named Cleveland manager and former boss Terry Francona to his staff for the All-Star Game.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Indians 3