Bosox Board

The lefty is on the most consistent run of his career, producing five straight
quality starts.  Rodriguez fired eight shutout innings in his only previous start
against Oakland, but got a no-decision on that one.

Triggs has held opponents to one run over six innings in each of his
last two starts, first against the Angels, then Seattle.  He hasn't allowed
more than three earned runs in seven of his eight outings.

The last time Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez pitched at the Coliseum, he nearly tossed a no-hitter. But with two outs in the eighth inning of that Sept. 4 contest, Marcus Semien beat out a ground ball that Rodriguez stopped with his foot at the mound.

Admittedly, Rodriguez thought about the near no-no once Boston arrived in the Bay Area for the four-game set, which wraps up with a Sunday matinee. Right-hander Andrew Triggs, who has been a surprise success story for the A's rotation, will toe the rubber for Oakland, which seeks a four-game sweep.

Rodriguez enters Sunday's contest riding a five-game streak of quality starts. His 3.05 ERA through eight starts is second-lowest on the team, behind Chris Sale's 2.19. The 24-year-old lefty said he's feeling more confident in his pitches, a result of work he's been putting in between starts.

"You're seeing a guy pitching with a lot more confidence in terms of the use of his fastball, the swing and miss that's there," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "It's allowed that changeup to come along as a true put away type of pitch. I think he and [catcher Christian Vazquez] have really formed a good chemistry and rapport with executing a game plan."
Since earning the No. 4 spot out of Spring Training, Triggs has been Oakland's most reliable starter. He keeps hitters off balance with a funky delivery and a lot of movement. Triggs' 2.12 ERA ranks fourth in the American League. In each of his past two starts, he's tossed six innings of one-run ball and struck out four.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Triggs has allowed just three of the 138 balls put in play against him to be barreled up, for a 2.2 percent rate that ties the Royals' Jason Vargas for the second-lowest among 124 qualified MLB starters (min. 100 batted balls). Triggs isn't just avoiding the hardest-hit balls, he's avoiding nearly any kind of solid wood. Entering the weekend, the side-arming righty has posted the sixth-highest rate of "poor contact" hits (balls hit under, topped into the ground or otherwise weakly hit) among that same group of qualified starters.

• Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland is expected to play after sitting out Saturday's contest to rest. Moreland homered in each of the first two games of the series, and he has 11 home runs in 29 contests in Oakland since 2013.

• A's first baseman Yonder Alonso (left knee soreness) remains day to day, but will likely be held out of the starting lineup with Monday's off-day.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170520231390780/young-hurlers-e-rod-triggs-meet-in-finale/?game_pk=490749