Game 89 Lineups: Red Sox Turn to Clay Buchholz After Losing 5 of 6

Now a season-worst 10 games below .500, and having missed a chance to cut into their division deficit against the first-place Orioles over the weekend, the Red Sox would seem to have ahead of them an opportunity to right the ship a bit this week — welcoming the White Sox to Fenway Park before traveling to face the bottom-dragging Astros in Houston before the All-Star break.

However, seizing opportunities has not been a strong suit of the Red Sox’ this season, at the plate or in general, given that they’re just 16-18 against opponents with a losing record — which is third-worst in the American League, and fifth-worst in all of baseball.

Boston entrusts the ball to Clay Buchholz against the second Chicago club to come in on this homestand, hoping he can continue to show progress after delivering a 3.29 and .245 opponents’ batting average in two starts since coming off the disabled list.

WHITE SOX (42-47)
1. Adam Eaton (CF)
2. Gordon Beckham (2B)
3. Jose Abreu (1B)
4. Adam Dunn (DH)
5. Alexei Ramirez (SS)
6. Dayan Viciedo (RF)
7. Alejandro De Aza (LF)
8. Tyler Flowers (C)
9. Leury Garcia (3B)
SP: Scott Carroll (RHP) (2-5, 5.05 ERA)

RED SOX (39-49)
1. Brock Holt (RF)
2. Daniel Nava (LF)
3. Dustin Pedroia (2B)
4. David Ortiz (DH)
5. Mike Napoli (1B)
6. Stephen Drew (SS)
7. A.J. Pierzynski (C)
8. Jackie Bradley Jr. (CF)
9. Xander Bogaerts (3B)
SP: Clay Buchholz (RHP) (3-4, 6.22 ERA)

Game time: 7:10 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN, WEEI (93.7 FM)

Notes: This is the start of a four-game series … After losing in 12 innings on Saturday, the Red Sox have lost five of the first six games of this 10-game homestand … Buchholz surrendered three runs (two earned) over six innings when the Red Sox beat the White Sox in April … Carroll is making his eighth major league start, all of them this season. He yielded 10 hits and seven runs to the Angels last time out, the fourth time in his last five starts he’s finished with more runs allowed than innings pitched … White Sox Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez were named to the AL All-Star team on Sunday, Abreu the league’s co-leader with 27 home runs, and Ramirez seeming to benefit from a relatively shallow pool of shortstops … Paul Konerko is 7-for-15 against Buchholz lifetime, but is on the bench to start … Bradley’s .218 batting average is the highest it’s been since May 13 … After collecting two hits from there Sunday, Bogaerts bats ninth for the second straight day (and second time this season) … Batting .211, Mookie Betts is out of the starting lineup for the third time in four games since hitting his first major-league homer … The Red Sox lineup features three consecutive left-handed hitters in slots 6-8, though the White Sox have only one southpaw reliever, that being Eric Surkamp, who hasn’t allowed a hit to a lefty in three innings of work this season.