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The Red Sox (32-15) are back on the road, this time in St. Pete to face the Rays (22-23) behind Chris Sale (4-1, 2.29 ERA) at Tropicana Field (7:10 p.m., NESN). Read Matt’s series preview here.
About tonight’s game: Sale will be countered by Tampa Bay’s Jake Faria (3-2, 5.20), which is... a mismatch on paper, and while games may not be played on paper, you’d expect the Sox to have the edge tonight. Alex Cora brings back Xander Bogaerts and Hanley Ramirez after getting Sunday off, which pushes Brock Holt and Mitch Moreland back to the bench as Jackie Bradley Jr. will get another chance to whack at high fastballs from the 9 hole.
About Sunday’s lineups post: ‘We’ had food poisoning on Sunday and swore to dog that ‘we’ saw Hanley serving as DH and J.D. Martinez riding the pine. Given the two Jumbo Dongs that followed, it was good to be wrong, but also sorry about that. I’d say it won’t happen again, but it probably will.
Forecast: The game will happen, for better or worse, inside the aesthetic hellhole that is the Trop.
Today’s reading: The Athletic’s Matthew Kory talks about Andrew Benintendi’s return to power-hitting ways. Subscription required. Read it here.
A good tweet:
J.D. Martinez, with 2 HR's today bringing his Red Sox career HR total to 15, finally passes two icons
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) May 20, 2018
J.D. Martinez - 15 HR - 175 AB
Carl Crawford - 14 HR - 623 AB
Pablo Sandoval - 14 HR - 575 AB
I don't know about you but I'm glad the wait is over
LINEUPS
Game 48 at Rays
Lineup Spot | Red Sox | Rays |
---|---|---|
Lineup Spot | Red Sox | Rays |
1 | Mookie Betts, RF | Daniel Robertson, 2B |
2 | Andrew Benintendi, LF | C.J. Cron, 1B |
3 | Hanley Ramirez, 1B | Matt Duffy, DH |
4 | J.D. Martinez, DH | Wilson Ramos, C |
5 | Xander Bogaerts, SS | Willy Adames, SS |
6 | Rafael Devers, 3B | Johnny Field, RF |
7 | Eduardo Nunez, 2B | Christian Arroyo, 3B |
8 | Sandy Leon, C | Rob Refsnyder, LF |
9 | Jackie Bradley Jr., CF | Mallex Smith, CF |
SP | Chris Sale, LHP | Jake Faria, RHP |