The 26-year-old infielder has been raking at the dish since his July 6 call up, hitting .349 with eight RBIs and six steals in his 18 game stint at the big league level. But beyond his game-winning hits, Ciriaco's defense has also earned him added playing time, and he gets the start at shortstop once again on Monday night.
Kelly Shoppach also gets the start behind the plate, batting in the No. 8 hole, just one spot ahead of Ciriaco. Shoppach, a left-handed killer, is in the lineup even though right-hander Max Scherzer (10-5, 4.49 ERA) will be taking the hill for the Tigers.
Clay Buchholz (8-3, 4.93) will be on the mound for Boston, hoping to keep his streak of stellar starts alive and continue lowering his once-bloated ERA. He'll have a tough task ahead, as heavy-hitting Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder make up the heart of the Detroit lineup.
Check out the full rosters for both sides.
Red Sox:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, DH
Ryan Sweeney, RF
Kelly Shoppach, C
Pedro Ciriaco, SS
Clay Buchholz, P
Tigers:
Austin Jackson, CF
Quintin Berry, LF
Miguel Cabrera, 3B
Prince Fielder, 1B
Delmon Young, DH
Brennan Boesch, RF
Jhonny Peralta, SS
Alex Avila, C
Omar Infante, 2B
Max Scherzer, RHP
