Baltimore @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2015 ) Baltimore 0, Boston 7

The three-four combination of Xander Bogaerts and David Ortiz has been a very bright spot in the midst of another down season for the Boston Red Sox, and the two are streaking to the finish line. Bogaerts and Ortiz will try to lead the Red Sox to a series win when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the second of a three-game set on Saturday.

Bogaerts and Ortiz combined to go 6-for-8 with four doubles and four RBIs during Friday’s 7-0 triumph in the series opener, and both have topped 30 doubles on the season. Ortiz is up to 104 RBIs and 36 homers at the ripe old age of 39 while Bogaerts (.325) is second in the American League in batting and doesn’t turn 23 until next week. The pair is a combined 12-for-42 and each have one homer off Wei-Yin Chen, who gets the start for the Orioles on Saturday opposite the Boston bullpen. Baltimore (76-77) had a three-game winning streak come to an end with Friday’s loss and will be attempting to get back to .500.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (10-7, 3.36 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Craig Breslow (0-3, 4.53)

Chen is coming off back-to-back wins and allowed a total of three runs in 14 innings without walking a batter against Kansas City on Sept. 13 and at Tampa Bay last Saturday. The Taiwan native has issued a total of two walks in his last five outings. Chen surrendered five unearned runs in a loss at Boston in April and is 6-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 14 career starts against the Red Sox.

Breslow has made 522 career relief appearances in the major leagues but will start for the first time on Saturday, when Boston lets the bullpen handle the game. The 35-year-old Yale product will be limited to around 40 pitches. Breslow owns a 1-0 record with a 2.01 ERA in 38 career relief appearances against Baltimore, covering a total of 44 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop is 1-for-19 in his last five games.

2. Boston RH Clay Buchholz (flexor tendon) threw off a mound without pain on Friday but will not pitch in a game again this season.

3. Baltimore CF Adam Jones (back spasms) sat out his fourth straight game on Friday and remains day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Orioles 8, Red Sox 4