Opposite dugout: For last-place Red Sox, offense is finally coming along

Manager: John Farrell (3rd season)

Record: 31-40

Last 10 games: 4-6

Who to watch: 2B Dustin Pedroia (.307 with 9 HR, 30 RBIs), SS Xander Bogaerts (.292 with 30 RBIs), LF Hanley Ramirez (.273/.322/.478 with 15 HR, 37 RBIs), LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-1, 3.13 ERA), RHP Koji Uehara (14 saves)

Season series vs. Orioles: 3-7

Pitching probables:

June 23: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. RHP Joe Kelly, 7:10 p.m., MASN
June 24: RHP Bud Norris vs. RHP Clay Buchholz, 7:30 p.m., MASN
June 25: RHP Miguel Gonzalez vs. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 1:35 p.m., MASN

Inside the Red Sox:

While the other four clubs in the American League East are warring for the division lead, the Red Sox are entrenched in last place. The last time these clubs met in Baltimore earlier this month, Boston had won three straight to get within four games of .500. The O's three-game sweep started a stretch of seven straight losses, and though the Red Sox have won four of their last six, they've yet to establish any consistency.

A middling offense is still handicapped by a poor pitching staff that has the fourth-worst ERA (4.46) in the majors and has allowed the fourth-most runs (334). Though Boston's on-base percentage of .323 ranks in the upper third of the majors, and despite the fact that the Red Sox have the 10th most total bases (968), they aren't turning all of those baserunners into runs - at least not frequently enough to translate into wins. But last weekend's series in Kansas City showed signs of a turnaround - Boston scored 24 runs in taking two of three from the Royals.

But there are still problems, no surprise on a last-place club. Designated hitter David Ortiz continues to struggle with a .236 average and 10 home runs, though his Sunday blast moved him past Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Willie Stargell and into 29th place on the all-time list. On Saturday in Kansas City, Ortiz showed his displeasure with the strike zone of home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman by flipping his bat and jawing at Dreckman after reaching first base following a single and was ejected. Before he departed via ejection for the second time this season, he tried to toss Dreckman (no word if any bullpen phones were harmed in the hubbub). Two players also left Saturday's same game with injuries: promising catcher Blake Swihart injured his left foot sliding into third base, and third baseman Pablo Sandoval turned an ankle making a wild throw to first and left the stadium in a walking boot. Closer Koji Uehara is experiencing decreased velocity, according to scouts who track the Red Sox. And Boston can only pitch stud lefty Eduardo Rodriguez every five days, an issue with a rotation where three starters have ERAs at 4.50 or above.

But June has shown some promise. Center fielder Mookie Betts is slashing .375/.412/.656 in June, toting a nine-game hitting streak into the series against the Orioles. In that span, he's 20-for-36 (.645) with three homers and eight RBIs. The Red Sox will find a way to play versatile Brock Holt, who is slashing .368/.463/.603 in June. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is on a 28-for-80 (.350) tear over his last 20 games and second baseman Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in 24 of 28 games. Hanley Ramirez may sometimes look like a duck out of water in left field, but he's still leading the Red Sox with 15 homers and 37 RBIs.

Boston has dropped five straight to the Orioles, and they'll need to pitch better to stop that downward spiral.

Right-hander Joe Kelly gets the call for Tuesday's series opener (which, by the way, comes the evening after Ortiz's big fundraising gala, so we'll see if there's any lingering hangover, literally and figuratively), Kelly hasn't been logging the innings he needs to - he's gone seven only twice in 13 starts - and the Red Sox have lost seven of the nine times he's taken the ball. That's a sure sign that the fastball that averages 96 mph isn't fooling anyone. But he's posted a 3.57 ERA in three June starts, so there's some cause for hope, and Kelly has gone four starts without yielding a home run. But he's still allowing a .261 batting average against and a .305 mark over his first 30 pitches of a game. Kelly hasn't been very solid at Fenway Park, going 1-2 with a 4.84 ERA in six home starts this year, or at night, posting an 0-2 record and 5.12 ERA. He's 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three lifetime starts against the Orioles.

Wednesday night starter Clay Buchholz also has pretty solid career numbers against Baltimore: a 9-5 record and 3.81 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). And the right-hander is coming off a June 18 start at Atlanta where he allowed two runs (none earned) in seven innings. Buchholz has nine quality starts in 2015 and is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA in four June starts. But he's 1-4 with a 4.61 ERA at home this season, with opponents slashing .311/.356/.401 against him at Fenway. Overall, foes are hitting .264 against him with a .392 mark with runners in scoring position. But Buchholz has easily been Boston's most consistent starting pitcher this season.

A lot of people wondered how Rodriguez would react to his first adversity - nine runs allowed over 4 2/3 innings against the Blue Jays on June 14. Well, five days later the longtime Orioles farmhand who was dealt last summer for lefty reliever Andrew Miller allowed a run in six innings against the Royals. Rodriguez has been just what the up-and-down Red Sox rotation needed, as his four quality starts in five outings demonstrate. But Baltimore will be the first club to see him a second time, and there's no question the Orioles have a book on him, so pay close attention to the approach the Birds employ. Rodriguez has relied heavily on his 94 mph fastball, throwing it 69 percent of the time, and his 87 mph changeup, which accounts for 19 percent of his pitches. He'll need to mix up sequences and spot in his slider a little more frequently to keep hitters guessing. So far, he's limited opponents to a .193 average and has been tough early, with a .186 average against in the first six innings. When he faced his original club on June 9 for the first time, he allowed three hits over six shutout innings. We'll see how he fares Thursday afternoon.