Red Sox vs. Rockies lineup: Sale seeks Sox’s sixth straight win

The Red Sox (22-19), winners of five straight, face the cursed National League Rockies (19-21) tonight in a 7:10 p.m. interleague battle at Fenway Park. Chris Sale pitches.

That’s right, Jack! Fresh off an 8-inning, 1-run, 14 strikeout performance against the lowly Orioles, Sale faces a real baseball team with two perpetual MVP candidates in Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado, and a third one now in Trevor Story. They also face Kyle Freeland, a good lefty who has had a rough go of it this season... sound familiar? Sale’s ERA is down to 4.50 while Freeland’s sits at 5.84. Unlike Sale, who’s rounding into form, Freeland has been knocked around his last three times out, some worse than others but all bad.

He will, naturally, have his hands full tonight. He faces a Sox lineup with the now traditional Andrew Benintendi-Mookie Betts-J.D. Martinez start to the lineup. Fun fact! Last year I interacted with someone from what we’ll call “Sox Prospects” and suggested a version of this and he sassed back that, effectively, J.D. made no sense in the three hole, which was stupid at the time and dumber now. As a result, I haven’t used the site since! Can’t remember its name, though.*

Anyhow, beyond my petty grievances, the interesting thing isn’t that Martinez is hitting third but that he’s in the field with the lefty on the mound, sparing Jackie Bradley Jr. the trouble of hitting the lefty. What is perhaps interesting is that Eduardo Núñez is DHing. It is also, perhaps, uninteresting. Still happening though.

The Sox should win tonight, friends, and if they don’t it’s not my fault. Just imagine how much better they’d be with Hanley Ramirez hitting third!