Friday’s matchup at Camden Yards will pit two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum against each other.
On one side, there’s the Boston Red Sox, who enter the series opener 21 games under .500 (66-87) and on the heels of a sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On the other side, there’s the Baltimore Orioles, who just clinched their first American League East title since 1997.
Don’t turn away, though. While the Red Sox won’t be playing into October this season, their final nine games, including Friday’s showdown in Baltimore, still are meaningful. Not only could Boston’s draft position be impacted, but the Sox also have some evaluations to make.
Rusney Castillo, who made his major league debut Wednesday in Pittsburgh, returns to the lineup for his second big league contest. The Cuban outfielder went 1-for-4 against the Pirates in his much-anticipated debut. He’ll again bat seventh and play center field against the O’s.
Garin Cecchini will make his first major league start. The 23-year-old has appeared in three games with Boston, but he has yet to start a game. He’ll bat eighth and play third base.
Allen Webster will face Kevin Gausman in Friday’s opener.
NESN.com Red Sox beat writer Ricky Doyle will be tweeting throughout the game. Follow him on Twitter and check out the updates below.
You also can follow Friday’s Red Sox-Orioles game right here.
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