Game 34: Red Sox at Phillies

The Red Sox are in third place with a 19-14 record as they face the 15-17 Philadelphia Phillies this weekend. Fresh off a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston is riding high.

It’s a Sale day. Chris Sale has just completed a bad start sandwich surrounding a 5-run, five-inning performance against the Baltimore Orioles with two gems: 6-innings, 1 run, 11 strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins and 6.1 innings, 1 runs 5 Ks against the Cleveland Guardians. Is this the real Sale? Is he turning back into the ace? Four years is a long time but there’s still some skill there and the Sox could sure use reliable starting pitchers.

Zack Wheeler takes the ball for the Phillies. He’s off to a 3.86 ERA / 2.54 FIP start this season and, you know, they just slayed the Kevin Gausman giant so who knows what that means. This team is…kinda good. Behind Wheeler, literally, are Schwarber and Castellanos flanking the outfield. The defense here isn’t strong still, hence the ERA/FIP divide. So hit to the corners and run fast.

Old friend Kyle Schwarber has 7 home runs on the year.

New acquisition Trea Turner is off to just a .259/.301/.393 start - so the Sox may catch him at a good time.

Rafael Devers leads the AL in home runs with 11.

Jarren Duran…well let’s just hope he hits to the corners and we get some fun!

Bryce Harper is back from Tommy John surgery. He didn’t bother with a rehab assignment, just rolled straight back to the majors.

First pitch is at 7:10 PM on WEEI and NESN.

Oh, one more time for the heck of it: