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To say this isn’t an ideal time for the freight-train Kansas City Royals (53-47), winners of eight straight games, to come rolling into town... well, it’s an understatement, but the fraying Red Sox (56-47) will deal with them nonetheless when they square off tonight at Fenway Park (7:10 p.m., NESN).
Lefty Jason Vargas (3.08 ERA) goes for KC against reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (4.52 ERA). The newly acquired Eduardo Nunez begins his Red Sox career by DH’ing and batting second, which is some amazing low-key trolling from the beleaguered John Farrell, imho. No Andrew Benintendi or Mitch Moreland against the lefty.
Here are the full lineups:
Game 104, July 28, 2017 vs. Royals
| Batting Order | Royals | Red Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Batting Order | Royals | Red Sox |
| 1 | Whit Merrifield, 2B | Mookie Betts, RF |
| 2 | Jorge Bonifacio, RF | Eduardo Nunez, DH |
| 3 | Lorenzo Cain, CF | Dustin Pedroia, 2B |
| 4 | Eric Hosmer, 1B | Hanley Ramirez, 1B |
| 5 | Salvador Perez, C | Jackie Bradley Jr., CF |
| 6 | Mike Moustakas, 3B | Xander Bogaerts, SS |
| 7 | Brandon Moss, DH | Chris Young, LF |
| 8 | Alcides Escobar, SS | Rafael Devers, 3B |
| 9 | Alex Gordon, LF | Sandy Leon, C |
| SP | Jason Vargas, LHP | Rick Porcello, P |