Red Sox vs. Yankees lineups, game two: Xander sits as lineup searches for spark

All of the focus heading into Sunday night’s game against the Yankees is going to be on the Red Sox offense, as it damn well should be. This is a unit that is in the midst of a horrible slump, and they need to get it going soon. Everyone would feel a whole lot better if they put a crooked number up on Masahiro Tanaka in one of the first few innings, though we’ll certainly take some offense in any inning as long as it results in a win. Of course, Tanaka has been much better of late than his overall numbers suggest, and he already has a complete game shutout against the Red Sox under his belt.

In an effort to try and get the best of Tanaka, Boston is sending out something close to their regular lineup, with a couple of notable differences. For one, Brock Holt is getting his first start since April, manning the hot corner in this game. Holt returned to action in the first game of this doubleheader by tapping an infield single in a pinch-hitting appearance. Meanwhile, Tzu-Wei Lin will remain in the lineup but shift from third base to shortstop, with Xander Bogaerts getting a day off. The offense is the story, but a strong performance from David Price certainly wouldn’t hurt. The lefty has been trending in the right direction but will be tested tonight by the Gary Sanchez/Aaron Judge/Matt Holliday trio. Just get a win, please. The full lineups are as follows.