These Red Sox just love a streak.
After four consecutive losses (which followed four consecutive wins, which in turn had followed another four consecutive losses), baseball’s streakiest team can make it three wins in a row and claim a sweep over the Diamondbacks with Tanner Houck on the bump in Arizona on Sunday.
Merrill Kelly has had a strong start to the season for the Diamondbacks, with a 2.98 ERA through 10 starts, and will take the ball for the hosts with hopes of keeping the brooms stored away.
Lineups
RED SOX (28-24): TBA
Pitching: RHP Tanner Houck (3-3, 4.99 ERA)
DIAMONDBACKS (29-23): TBA
Pitching: RHP Merrill Kelly (5-3, 2.98 ERA)
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Kelly: Rafael Devers 0-3, Kiké Hernández 1-8, Pablo Reyes 0-1, Raimel Tapia 7-15, Justin Turner 9-23, Alex Verdugo 0-3
Diamondbacks vs. Houck: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 0-4
Stat of the day: Diamondbacks starter Kelly made his first MLB start in 2019, 12 years after he was first drafted by the Orioles in 2007 and nine years after he was taken again by the Rays in 2010.
Notes: Boston likely will see the return of Rafael Devers in the series finale. He sat out the first two games of the series because of an ailing calf … Houck won three of his first four starts this season but has lost three of his past five. He settled for a no-decision on Monday despite allowing one run on three hits with eight strikeouts in six innings against the Angels … Houck has yet to face Arizona in his career … Kelly lost his lone career start against the Sox despite yielding just one earned run in eight innings of a 1-0 setback on April 7, 2019. It was his second start in the majors.
Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com.