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Red Sox vs. Tigers lineup: Jalen Beeks starts, Blake Swihart catches

It’s all happening.

MLB: Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays
It’s tiiiiime.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox (43-19) look to pull off a three-game sweep of the Tigers (29-34) tonight at Fenway Park (7:10 p.m., NESN, ESPN out-of-market) behind spot starter Jalen Beeks (NR), who will be making his big-league debut.

About tonight’s game: Beeks, who who has more strikeouts in the International League than anyone, including former Sox prospect Michael Kopech, will toe the rubber for the big league club for the first time ever in a non-Spring Training game. On March 10, he started for the Sox in the Grapefruit League and faced 7 batters without recording an out. The good news: There’s only one way to go but up! (Except for after the game, when he’ll be optioned back to Pawtucket.)

The Beeks start, against lefty Matthew Boyd (3-4, 3.23 ERA), overshadows some other notable lineup moves, including the chosen one, Blake Swihart, catching his first game in the big leagues this year. Sam Travis is in left field, J.D. Martinez is in right and Christian Vazquez — yes, that Christian Vazquez — is DHing. What a world.

About last night’s game: Another Sox beatdown, this one authored by Eduardo Rodriguez and Andrew Benintendi. Read Matt’s recap here.

Forecast: It’ll be nice to start the game and falling into the low 60s as the game goes on.

Today’s reading: Jason Mastrodonato’s writeup of Beeks’s start is worth your time.

A good tweet from last night:

LINEUPS

Game 63 vs. Tigers

Lineup Spot Tigers Red Sox
Lineup Spot Tigers Red Sox
1 JaCoby Jones, LF Andrew Benintendi, CF
2 Nicholas Castallanos, RF Xander Bogaerts, SS
3 Miguel Cabrera, 1B J.D. Martinez, RF
4 Victor Martinez, DH Mitch Moreland, 1B
5 Jeimer Candelario, 3B Eduardo Núñez, 2B
6 John Hicks, C Sam Travis, LF
7 Leonys Martin, CF Rafael Devers, 3B
8 Jose Iglesias, SS Christian Vazquez, DH
9 Dixon Machado, 2B Blake Swihart, C
SP Matthew Boyd, LHP Jalen Beeks, LHP