SAN FRANCISCO -- With a showdown of potential World Series Game 1 aces David Price and Madison Bumgarner looming Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants will focus on outfield issues when they open a two-game interleague series Tuesday night.
Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello (7-2) and Giants righty Albert Suarez (1-1) are scheduled to pitch the series opener, which will be the first meeting of the recent World Series winners since 2013. Boston leads the all-time series 8-4, having won seven of the last nine.
The Red Sox (33-24) began the week tied with the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East. A 5-2 record in interleague play bolstered their winning percentage.
However, Boston flew west to begin a five-game trip on the heels of losing four of five to the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, and with both their regular left fielders (Brock Holt and Blake Swihart), out due to injuries.
The Red Sox have plugged veteran Chris Young into the left field void, and early returns are good. He had a home run and a single Sunday in Boston's 5-4 loss at Toronto.
"To his credit, he has stayed ready when he has not had everyday at-bats or regular at-bats," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Young while addressing the media after Sunday's game in Boston. "We're able to turn to a quality big-leaguer in the role that he's in."
The Giants are quite familiar with Young, having faced him a whopping 426 times over 10 seasons while he was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets and New York Yankees. He brings just a .224 lifetime average against the Giants into AT&T Park.
He has never faced Suarez, who will be making just his second start in right-hander Matt Cain's No. 5 spot in the San Francisco rotation. Cain is on the disabled list because of a strained hamstring.
Suarez has never pitched against Boston, nor has any Red Sox hitter ever batted against him in a major league game.
The 26-year-old is coming off a decent outing (five innings, three hits, three runs) in his first major league start Wednesday at Atlanta. He did not get a decision.
The Giants (35-24), who completed a 5-5 trip with a 6-3 loss at St. Louis to Sunday night, have injury issues at two outfield positions.
Super-sub Gregor Blanco has filled in admirably for right fielder Hunter Pence (hamstring surgery), but the club has struggled to get consistent production in left since Angel Pagan (strained hamstring) exited the lineup on May 23.
The recent flavor of the day has been left-handed-hitting Jarrett Parker, who was in a 2-for-19 slump with nine strikeouts before hitting a two-run homer in the Sunday loss.
Righty swinger Mac Williamson likely will get the start Wednesday against Price. He has fallen behind Parker in the pecking order after a 3-for-17 (.176) start to the season.
Utility man Kelby Tomlinson is a third option, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy prefers to have him available off the bench, especially now with Blanco starting.
"They'll all get a shot," Bochy said Sunday when discussing the situation with reporters in St. Louis. "Their play will determine who plays."
The Giants haven't seen Porcello since lighting him up for 10 hits and five runs in just three innings in a game at Detroit in 2014. They also got a brief glimpse at the 27-year-old in the 2012 World Series, when the Tigers brought him out of the bullpen for one inning of Game 1 during the Giants' 4-0 sweep.