Red Sox vs. Tigers lineups: Red Sox go without the miracle of Leon

Sandy Leon is missing from an otherwise typical starting lineup Saturday night as the Sox try to secure at least a series split against the Tigers.

Leon got the day off from catching duties when the Red Sox were on their no-sleep schedule between Wednesday and Thursday, but having played four straight including that silly stretch, it's not surprising to see him getting the day off today.

Having tackled the challenge of Michael Fulmer on Friday (with no small amount of success), the Sox draw a slightly easier opponent in lefty Daniel Norris. That's less a knock against Norris than a compliment to Fulmer. Norris has been a top prospect in his own right at times, and while he's got less major league experience than Fulmer despite having debuted years earlier, what experience he does have has gone reasonably well.

In opposition, Drew Pomeranz is gunning for an appropriate follow-up to his best start in a Red Sox uniform. Over his last three outings, he's allowed just five earned runs in 19 innings of work, perhaps settling some fears his innings count was cathing up to him as soon as he put on a Red Sox uniform. Another strong performance here would go a long way towards leaving those early struggles in the past in the minds of the fans.

First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET with broadcasts on NESN, WEEI, and the MLB Network.