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Red Sox vs. Angels lineup: He’s here

Hold onto your butts.

Texas Rangers v Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Gulp.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

The Red Sox (52-27) face Mike Trout and the Angels (41-38) — and I cannot stress how much it is “Mike Trout and the Angels” — tonight at Fenway Park to kick off a three-game set. Read Matt’s series preview here.

About tonight’s game: David Price (8-5, 3.81) will have the unenviable task of pitching to one of five best players in baseball history at the peak of his powers and the enviable task of facing most of the rest of the lineups. Trout is hitting .325/.461/.657 with 23 homers, 13 steals, great defense, and is the clear best player in baseball in an era full of superstars, but, outside of Justin Upton, doesn’t have a ton of help in the Anaheim lineup. For Boston’s part, Mookie Betts is, obviously, just as good or better than Trout on some days, but there are more days Trout is better than Betts, just as there are more days Trout is better than any other player in baseball, because he is the best.

Unfortunately for Trout, he plays for a perpetually meh Angels team that, as if to prove the point about their mehness, starts lefty John Lamb (0-0, 5.40 ERA) tonight. The Sox lineup is basically normal, with Xander Bogaerts batting cleanup and Mitch Moreland falling to fifth against the southpaw. Christian Vazquez is behind the plate and batting eighth.

About Sunday’s game: It was the Chris Sale show, and the Sox got an uncharacteristically easy 5-0 win. Read the recap here.

Forecast: 76 degrees and sunny — note-perfect.

Today’s reading: The Globe’s Chad Finn is asked who this year’s unsung hero has been, comes up with Matt Barnes... who then become a “sung” hero, and we start the process all over, right? I’m not sure, but this is good reading.

A tweet with a trade I endorse:

LINEUPS

Game 80 vs. Angels

Lineup Spot Angels Red Sox
Lineup Spot Angels Red Sox
1 Ian Kinsler, 2B Mookie Betts, RF
2 Mike Trout, DH Andrew Benintendi, LF
3 Justin Upton, LF J.D. Martinez, DH
4 Albert Pujols, 1B Xander Bogaerts, SS
5 Andrelton Simmons, SS Mitch Moreland, 1B
6 Martin Maldonado, C Eduardo Núñez, 2B
7 David Fletcher, 3B Rafael Devers, 3B
8 Chris Young, CF Christian Vazquez, C
9 Michael Hermosillo, RF Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
SP John Lamb, LHP David Price, LHP