BOSTON — Jackie Bradley Jr. has been hitting like a top-of-the-order bat, and on Saturday, he’ll get to be one.
The Red Sox center fielder, riding a Major League Baseball-best 19-game hitting streak, will bat second for Boston in the third game of its four-game set with the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. The Red Sox’s usual No. 2 hitter, second baseman Dustin Pedroia, is out of the lineup, getting his first day off of the 2016 season.
Bradley went 3-for-4 in Friday’s loss to the Astros and has tallied multiple hits in each of his last six games. But the No. 2 hole traditionally hasn’t bode well for 26-year-old, who is 0-for-7 in his career when hitting second.
Josh Rutledge will take Pedroia’s place at second base and bat seventh. Christian Vazquez will bat ninth and do the catching for starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, who is hoping to bounce back after surrendering four runs in five innings in his last outing.
Here are the full lineups for both teams:
RED SOX (22-14)
Mookie Betts, RF
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Travis Shaw, 3B
Josh Rutledge, 2B
Brock Holt, LF
Christian Vazquez, C
Clay Buchholz, RHP (2-3, 5.90 ERA)
ASTROSÂ (15-22)
Jose Altuve, 2B
George Springer, RF
Carlos Correa, SS
Colby Rasmus, LF
Marwin Gonzalez, 1B
Luis Valbuena, 3B
Preston Tucker, DH
Jason Castro, C
Jake Marisnick, CF
Collin McHugh, RHPÂ (4-3, 5.50 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
