Opposite dugout: Red Sox struggling to find form entering AL East matchup with O's

Manager: John Farrell, second year Record: 28-34 Last 10 games: 5-5 Who to watch: DH David Ortiz (.259/.363/.491, 14 HR, 38 RBIs); SS Xander Bogaerts (.293/.384/.444, 23 XBH, 17 RBIs); RHP Jake Peavy (1-3, 4.72 ERA, 1.45 WHIP); RHP Rubby De La Rosa (1-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) Season series vs. O's: 4-3, 31 runs scored, 29 runs allowed Pitching probables June 9: Jake Peavy vs. Bud Norris, 7 p.m., MASN HD June 10: Brandon Workman vs. Chris Tillman, 7 p.m., MASN HD June 11: Rubby De La Rosa vs. Wei-Yin Chen, 7 p.m., MASN HD Series breakdown One could theme a roller coaster after the Red Sox's ride since mid-May. First they lost 10 in a row. Then they won seven straight, including two in walk-off fashion. And now, they come into Baltimore having just snapped a five-game skid Sunday. Following last season's World Series crown, the Red Sox could not have expected to be six games under .500 this far into June. Only the Rays have experienced as many extreme lows to keep Boston out of the American League East basement. Boston has experienced a steep offensive dropoff since leading the AL in runs in 2013, ranking 11th with 253 runs and a .247 average, and 13th with 48 homers so far this year. Designated hitter David Ortiz has continued to produce at a high level with 14 homers and 38 RBIs. Young shortstop Xander Bogaerts has also been a positive for the Red Sox with an .828 OPS and 23 extra-base hits. But production is down for the much of the team, including second baseman Dustin Pedroia (.739 OPS) and left fielder Jonny Gomes (.722 OPS). Despite the losing, the Red Sox have pitched well so far this season, ranking fourth in the AL with a 3.88 ERA, third with a 2.94 bullpen ERA and 10th with a 4.38 rotation ERA. But pitching was a problem during the skid, as the Red Sox allowed 25 runs over their four games before winning Sunday. The Orioles will miss Boston's top two starters - lefty Jon Lester and righty John Lackey - in the series. Right-hander Jake Peavy, who pitches tonight's series opener, has underperformed, going 1-3 with a 4.72 ERA. He has fallen on especially difficult times lately, pitching to a 7.04 ERA over his last five starts, and hasn't won since April 25. The series finale has the potential to be an enticing pitching duel between 25-year-old right-hander Rubby De La Rosa and Wei-Yin Chen. De La Rosa tossed seven scoreless innings in his first start of the year on May 31 before sliding back to allow four runs in 5 2/3 innings his last time out. If the May 31 version shows up, the Orioles could be in for a difficult night. The bullpen has been tremendous with former Orioles closer Koji Uehara adeptly manning the ninth, posting a 0.67 ERA and converting all 12 of his save opportunities. Right-hander Burke Badenhop has also excelled with a 1.82 ERA in 28 appearances. But the Red Sox do come in to a crucial AL East matchup nearly as cold as can be. Can the Orioles capitalize on a struggling opponent, especially after a solid showing over the weekend against the AL's best? Tune in to find out.