Game 88: Rangers at Red Sox

With one game left against the best team in the AL West, the Red Sox have their destiny under their control. Win this and it’s time for the Oakland A’s after taking two of three from the most prolific offense in the game.

Kutter Crawford, like Brayan Bello, will have his work cut out for him. Over his last five starts he was kinda roughed up by the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox but handled the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays. With David Hamilton behind him at shortstop and Kiké in his more natural second base role even ground balls could be more favorable to Crawford tonight.

Why isn’t Nathan Eovaldi still in Boston? You’d really have thought that either Nate the Great or Michael Wacha would have returned given the holes in the rotation and how much the team would need to lean on Chris Sale and James Paxton in terms of simply availability. Well, Eovaldi went right out and returned to 2021 form. A 2.64 ERA and 3.13 FIP are putting him back at the top of the class among American League starters.

Jarren Duran starts tonight on the bench but Triston Casas returns to it.

Adam Duvall is back in center field looking to carry some of his bat momentum into another game.

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