BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The visiting Arizona Diamondbacks can complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a victory Sunday. Arizona won the opener, 12-2, on Friday night and posted a 4-1 victory on Saturday. The Diamondbacks enter Sunday’s matchup on a five-game winning streak, all on the road.
Saturday’s win gave the Diamondbacks their 11th series victory in the last 12 tries. The only exception came last weekend, when Tampa Bay swept a three-game series as Arizona began its nine-game trip. The Diamondbacks are 25-8 since the All-Star break.
Arizona’s starting pitchers — Ryne Nelson on Friday and Zac Gallen on Saturday — combined to allow two runs on seven hits in 12 innings.
“Those guys (the Diamondbacks) are really good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “What they do is not just against us — it’s against everybody. It’s a different type of pitching, too. Different angles, they change speeds, they don’t give in. You have to be very stubborn in the zone.
“They’re really good at what they do. They’re probably one of the best teams in the big leagues right now. They’re athletic, they run the bases well, they put good at-bats — it’s a complete team.”
Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez has four hits and seven RBIs in the series. He collected five RBIs — including a grand slam — on Friday and had a two-run double in Saturday’s win.
Boston’s pitchers walked six on Saturday, including four in the seventh when Arizona scored two runs without getting a hit.
“When the pitcher has good stuff or he’s attacking and we’re not getting hits, I think our patience will pay off,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re going to get some baserunners and create some run-scoring opportunities. That’s what we did today.”
A walk forced in the first run in the seventh, and the second scored on a wild pitch by Brennan Bernardino.
“At this level we cannot do that, obviously,” Cora said. “We had the right matchups. It just didn’t work out.”
Sunday’s pitching matchup has Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (3-0, 3.63 ERA) facing Boston righty Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.01).
Kelly has made two starts since returning from the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury. He gave up two runs in five innings to beat the Phillies in the first start, then allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings during an 8-7 loss to Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg on Aug. 18.
Kelly has faced the Red Sox twice in his career and has a 1-1 record with a 1.26 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings against Boston, and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox last season.
Houck has made three straight quality starts, and gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings of a 5-4 loss to Houston on Monday. He made his only career start against Arizona last season — opposing Kelly in that 10-strikeout game — and took a loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in four innings. Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo each homered against Houck.
The Red Sox are expecting outfielder Tyler O’Neill to play Sunday after he missed the last three games because of a swollen finger on his left hand.
“He should be in the lineup,” Cora said.
–Field Level Media