Boston Red Sox Vs Detroit Tigers League Baseball Live Streaming Online Radio Commentary Espn 360 Gamecast Sopcast May 29, 2011. THE STORY: Detroit’s Andy Oliver will have his work cut out for him in his 2011 major league debut. After five dreadful starts last season, Oliver returns to the majors to face the sizzling Boston Red Sox, who have won 12 of their last 14 games and scored 34 runs in their past three outings, in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Comerica Park. Clay Buchholz starts the opener for Boston, which begins the day alone in first place in the American League East.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, NESN, TBS, FSD
PITCHING MATCHUP (Game 1): Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.30 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Andy Oliver (season debut)
Buchholz pitched 7 1/3 solid innings last outing but the bullpen couldn’t hold a one-run lead in a 3-2 loss to the Indians. It was the second straight start that the young right-hander went unrewarded. Two starts ago he fanned seven in seven shutout innings against the Tigers but Boston won the game 1-0 in the eighth inning. Buchholz has thrown six quality starts in his last seven outings and is 1-1 against Detroit with a 2.23 ERA. Oliver will be making his season debut. He went 0-4 in five starts last season with a 7.36 ERA and spent the first two months of this season in the minors. Oliver is second-round pick of the Tigers in the 2009 draft who will get the spot start for the injured Phil Coke. He had a 3.26 ERA in 49 innings for Triple-A Toledo.
ABOUT THE TIGERS (25-25): Back-to-back losses have dropped the Tigers to the .500 mark. Detroit couldn’t solve Boston’s spot starters Alfredo Aceves or Tim Wakefield in the first two games of the series. Now the Tigers have to face Boston’s front-line starters. Jhonny Peralta homered and doubled on Friday night but otherwise Detroit did little offensively. Peralta’s homer went an estimated 430 feet. Another bright for the Tigers was rookie Charlie Furbush, who threw five shutout innings in relief of loser Rick Porcello, on Friday. Furbush has not allowed a run in 8 2-3 innings in his first two major-league appearances.
ABOUT THE RED SOX (29-22): Boston moved to 5-0 against the Tigers this season with a 6-3 win on Friday night. The Red Sox have won four straight and, in their past three games they’re batting .372 with 11 doubles and seven home runs. Kevin Youkilis has reached base in 14 straight games and Carl Crawford, who homered Friday, has nine hits in his last three games, six of them for extra bases. Crawford has fared well since moving into the six-hole in the lineup and may stay there for a while especially with J.D. Drew nursing a hamstring injury. Boston is 18-7 in May. John Lackey threw two simulated innings on Friday.
FINAL PITCH: The Tigers traded second baseman Scott Sizemore to Oakland for left-handed reliever David Purcey on Friday. Sizemore never filled the void left by Placido Polanco. Will Rhymes holds down that job.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, NESN, TBS, FSD
PITCHING MATCHUP (Game 1): Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.30 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Andy Oliver (season debut)
Buchholz pitched 7 1/3 solid innings last outing but the bullpen couldn’t hold a one-run lead in a 3-2 loss to the Indians. It was the second straight start that the young right-hander went unrewarded. Two starts ago he fanned seven in seven shutout innings against the Tigers but Boston won the game 1-0 in the eighth inning. Buchholz has thrown six quality starts in his last seven outings and is 1-1 against Detroit with a 2.23 ERA. Oliver will be making his season debut. He went 0-4 in five starts last season with a 7.36 ERA and spent the first two months of this season in the minors. Oliver is second-round pick of the Tigers in the 2009 draft who will get the spot start for the injured Phil Coke. He had a 3.26 ERA in 49 innings for Triple-A Toledo.
ABOUT THE TIGERS (25-25): Back-to-back losses have dropped the Tigers to the .500 mark. Detroit couldn’t solve Boston’s spot starters Alfredo Aceves or Tim Wakefield in the first two games of the series. Now the Tigers have to face Boston’s front-line starters. Jhonny Peralta homered and doubled on Friday night but otherwise Detroit did little offensively. Peralta’s homer went an estimated 430 feet. Another bright for the Tigers was rookie Charlie Furbush, who threw five shutout innings in relief of loser Rick Porcello, on Friday. Furbush has not allowed a run in 8 2-3 innings in his first two major-league appearances.
ABOUT THE RED SOX (29-22): Boston moved to 5-0 against the Tigers this season with a 6-3 win on Friday night. The Red Sox have won four straight and, in their past three games they’re batting .372 with 11 doubles and seven home runs. Kevin Youkilis has reached base in 14 straight games and Carl Crawford, who homered Friday, has nine hits in his last three games, six of them for extra bases. Crawford has fared well since moving into the six-hole in the lineup and may stay there for a while especially with J.D. Drew nursing a hamstring injury. Boston is 18-7 in May. John Lackey threw two simulated innings on Friday.
FINAL PITCH: The Tigers traded second baseman Scott Sizemore to Oakland for left-handed reliever David Purcey on Friday. Sizemore never filled the void left by Placido Polanco. Will Rhymes holds down that job.
