Jake Peavy said he will relish every opportunity he gets to pitch in front of the home crowd at Fenway Park.
The time has come for the newest Red Sox hurler to take center stage and the right-hander will make his Boston debut Saturday versus the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second installment of a three-game series.
Acquired in a three-team trade from the Chicago White Sox before Wednesday's deadline, Peavy was added to bolster an already solid rotation and went 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 13 starts for the White Sox. Peavy is a three-time All-Star and 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner while with San Diego, and is anxious to help the Red Sox on their postseason quest.
"I couldn't have asked for anything more to come to a team who is now in first place with a realistic chance this year of being a world champion, which is why we all play the game," Peavy said during his introductory press conference. "To have a chance to compete in the postseason. It would be a dream come true. That's something I know a lot of other guys expect, and I expect to do it and be a contributing factor here going forward."
Peavy, a right-hander, has faced the D'backs plenty of times in his career from his days with the NL West inhabitant Padres and owns a 13-12 mark with a 4.66 earned run average in 29 starts against Arizona.
His new rotation mate, Jon Lester, struggled in Friday's 7-6 loss in the series opener and was touched for six runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. Pedro Beato was dealt the loss for allowing Cody Ross' leadoff home run in the top of the seventh inning.
Boston, of course, was coming off a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Seattle Mariners the night before.
"We started to put it together," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "Things started to build, a little momentum, similar to the feeling that we've had the last couple of nights. But, unfortunately, it didn't happen here tonight."
David Ortiz homered and Stephen Drew went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI for the Red Sox, who still lead the AL East by one game over Tampa Bay. The Rays lost to San Francisco Friday night. The Red Sox are 37-21 at Fenway Park this season and had won three in a row and five of six games.
Arizona is fighting for the top spot in its respective division, the NL West, and received a big boost from Ross against Boston. Ross, a former Red Sox player, ended with four hits, including the big homer in the seventh, and drove in three runs, while Paul Goldschmidt went deep for the D'backs.
"Obviously, I want to come in here and perform and play well. Anytime you play against one of your old teams, you want to do that," said Ross, who hit 22 homers and had 81 RBI in 130 games for Boston last season. "But I have no hard feelings toward anybody in this organization."
Ross has six homers and 21 RBI in his last 20 interleague games.
Arizona starter Randall Delgado held on for the win even though he permitted six runs -- four earned -- in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one batter.
The D'backs are 6-6 in their last 12 games.
Patrick Corbin had his personal winning stopped at three games his last time out and looks to bounce back Saturday for the visitors. Corbin suffered a hard-luck loss in Sunday's 1-0 decision to San Diego and lasted eight innings, allowing the lone run with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Corbin is 12-2 on the season in 21 starts with a 2.24 earned run average, while the D'backs are 18-3 when he toes the rubber. The All-Star right-hander has never faced Boston and sports a 4-1 record in nine road assignments.
These teams are meeting for the first time since Boston swept a three-game set back in 2010. In fact, the Red Sox have won eight of the last 10 in the series.
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