Red Sox at A’s lineups: The start of one trip, the end of another

The Red Sox begin a west coast swing tonight behind a Nathan Eovaldi coming off a complete-game win against James Kaprelian and the A’s tonight in Oakland (9:40 p.m., NESN).

Anyhow maybe you care and maybe you don’t but tonight is Matt Collins’s last game recap as site manager of Over the Monster—if you’re so inclined to listen, I did an “exit interview” podcast with him today that was loads of fun. We talked about the Mookie Betts trade. Because that’s a thing I do.

This is Nate Eovaldi’s third start since the five-homers-in-an-inning disaster and first since his complete game masterpiece against the Orioles. This is the third straight last-place team the Sox have faced, so you’d have to like their chances, but it’s baseball, so who the heck knows. Old friend Jed Lowrie is batting third for Oakland, which probably tells you all you need to know.

Enrique Hernández is back in the leadoff spot for the Sox, with Franchy Cordero playing right field and batting seventh. Kevin Plawecki is catching and batting ninth. This preview is over.