Red Sox vs. Rays lineups: Sox out to clinch October berth

The Red Sox have Rick Porcello on the mound on a night that could see them clinch a postseason berth.

The Sox will need some help from a pretty bad team in the Diamondbacks. But with a win against Tampa, and a Baltimore Loss to Arizona, the Red Sox would earn at least a wild card spot and a return to, technically, the postseason.

At this point, of course, a wild card spot would be pretty monumentally disappointing. But it’s also not terribly likely. It would just be nice to clear a milestone, especially with so much time left in the season. The Sox jumping out to such a big lead is nice because of how unlikely it is they’ll have to play their way into the ALDS, but because by passing milestones like this, and eventually the division-clincher, they get to take their foot off the gas some, and line things up for October.

To that end, it’s a Holt day in the lineup again, with the Sox seemingly trying to find their best option at third base. Alas, Travis Shaw, once the obvious answer, is not obvious in the least anymore. The Sox aren’t really in desperate need—remember, they won the 2013 World Series with Will Middlebrooks at the hot corner—but it would be nice for someone to get hot.

First pitch is at 6:10 p.m. ET with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.