Red Sox vs. Phillies lineups: Wrap it up

The Red Sox look to enter the All-Star break on a positive note as they wrap up the first half this afternoon seeking the series win against the Phillies behind Nick Pivetta (1:10 p.m., NESN).

If the first two games of the series are any indication, one team will win by scoring 11 runs. Aaron Nola was supposed to start for the Phillies, and before this season if you asked me who was more likely to help surrender 11 runs between him and former Phillie Pivetta I would have laughed, laughed and laughed some more. Nola is a blue-chipper, whereas Pivetta is a project. Sorry: was. Pivetta has been good this year—better than Nola, despite slightly worse underlying stats—and can end the first half strong with a good performance today. Which I said about Martín Pérez yesterday and you see how that worked out (not good), but still applies.

BUT! Nola was scratched due to COVID protocols and instead Cristopher Sánchez will make his second-ever MLB appearance in a potential opener capacity for the Phils. We’ll take it! Except now it’s Brandon Kintzler? What? This is why the lineups were late, probably, with the late switch from the righty to the lefty and back. It’s Kintzler. Here you go: