After concluding their 10-game homestand with a 6-1 win over the Blue Jays, giving them an 8-2 mark coming out of the All-Star break, the Red Sox are in California for a seven-game road trip to face the Athletics and the Dodgers.
They will open a four-game series with the Athletics Monday night in west Sacramento. While the Sox have won 17 of their last 19 games, the A’s are struggling. They were 38-38 on June 19, but have dropped 23 of 29 to fall 17 games below .500.
Payton Tolle will get the nod Monday night. The lefthander received a no-decision his last time out, allowing four runs and eight hits over 5⅔ innings in a 6-5 win over the Orioles on July 20.
The A’s will counter with righthander Jack Perkins, who will be making his eighth start of the season.
Here is a preview.
RED SOX (54-50): Yoshida DH, Mead 2B, Contreras 1B, Abreu RF, Rafaela CF, Durbin 3B, Duran LF, Monasterio SS, Wong C
Pitching: LHP Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.31 ERA)
ATHLETICS (44-61): Wilson SS, Soderstrom DH, Helm C, Thomas LF, White 3B, McNeil 1B, Bolte CF, Williams 2B, Butler RF
Pitching: RHP Jack Perkins (2-5, 6.75 ERA)
Time: 9:40 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Perkins: Has not faced any Boston batters
Athletics vs. Tolle: Lawrence Butler 1-2, Nick Kurtz 1-3, Tyler Soderstrom 0-2, Colby Thomas 0-1, Jacob Wilson 0-2
Stat of the day: The Red Sox have won six consecutive series for the first since June 2022.
Notes: Tolle is 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two appearances (one start) against the A’s. … The Red Sox are an MLB-best 25-7 since June 19. … Andruw Monasterio is hitting .478 during his eight-game hitting streak. … Perkins is facing the Red Sox for the first time. He had a no-decision against the Diamondbacks last Tuesday when he gave up three runs and five hits over five innings. In his previous two outings, Perkins gave up a combined 10 runs and nine hits — including four homers — in just 6⅔ innings in a pair of losses.
Follow Andrew Mahoney @GlobeMahoney.
