Boston @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2012 ) Boston 3, Cleveland 2

If the Boston Red Sox are a playoff team like their manager Bobby Valentine says they are, they'll probably have to win at least 34 of their last 48 games. A tall task indeed, especially when it appears they have lost rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks with a broken right wrist. The Red Sox will try to shake off that bad news and build on Clay Buchholz's gem when they visit the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in the third of a four-game series. The Red Sox are 5 1/2 games out of a wild card spot and four of the five teams ahead of them are separated at the top by a half-game. Buchholz pitched a masterful two-hitter in Boston's 3-2 victory Friday. Asdrubal Cabrera had both hits - a homer in the first inning and a double in the fourth.

Middlebrooks was hit on the right wrist by a pitch in the ninth inning Friday and left the game. He was replaced by Nick Punto. Cleveland rookie Zach McAllister lost at Boston 4-1 on May 12 and will face Franklin Morales, who has provided the Red Sox versatility as a starter and reliever. The Indians, who won Thursday's series opener 5-3, have lost 12 of their last 14 games and fallen well off the pace in the wild card race (nine games) and the Central Division (10).

TV: 6:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Franklin Morales (3-2, 3.14 ERA) vs. Indians RH Zach McAllister (4-4, 3.60)

Morales will make his seventh start of the season and second straight since rejoining the rotation. He allowed one run and three hits in six innings in the Red Sox's 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday and is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA in six starts. Morales will make his first career start against the Indians. He is 0-1, 7.20 in six appearances (five innings) against Cleveland, including two this season (1 1/3 innings, two hits, one walk).

After a promising 4-1 start, McAllister is struggling. He is 0-3 in his last four outings, although the first two during that span were quality starts. McAllister allowed nine runs (two earned) and six hits in 1 2/3 innings in Cleveland's 14-3 loss to Minnesota on Monday. A throwing error by Jason Kipnis on a play which would have ended the second inning led to eight unearned runs in the 10-run frame. Cody Ross hit a solo homer and Dustin Pedroia recorded an RBI double against McAllister on May 12.

WALK-OFFS

1. Valentine said DH David Ortiz (heel) probably will not be activated Sunday because he is still too sore to play. Ortiz has missed the last 23 games since injuring himself running the bases on Adrian Gonzalez's home run in a 5-1 victory over the White Sox on July 16.

2. Cleveland DH Travis Hafner (back) had an injection to relieve inflammation, but there is no timetable for his return from the disabled list.

3. Red Sox RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (back) yielded two runs in 4 2/3 innings Friday during his rehab start at Triple-A Pawtucket.