Game 138: Red Sox at Rays

Familiar terrority for the 2022 Red Sox tonight: try to avoid the sweep. Although, if the Minnesota Twins can do their job in both games of their doubleheader with the Yankees, losing to the Rays does help in the side goal of ensuring that the Yankees do, in fact, suck.

Nick Pivetta has been a rock for the Sox this year, even if his performance sank like a stone during July. Every five days he goes out and takes the ball. However he’s been brutal against the Rays this season. Like really, really bad: they’re hitting .364/.431/.659 against him as a unit. On the one hand, no one is that good and Pivetta isn’t that bad. On the other? Whatever he’s been doing hasn’t been working. With any luck, his pitch mix tonight will be the right one.

Luckily for Boston, the team opposing pitcher Jeffery Springs has struggled against this year is the Red Sox. BoSox hitters have struck .277/.346/.511 against the lefty in three starts this year. This is where there is a “however”

Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are not in the lineup tonight.

While we’d all like to be there with Will Middlebrooks and imagine the left side of the infield huddled with Chaim Bloom signing stacks of papers (or is this kind of thing done electronically these days. I mean, is Bloom even in Tampa? Would he fly down for that?) it’s probably more for rest than anything else. Carrying the team clearly is wearing on Bogaerts’ back.