The Boston Red Sox are sticking with a new-look lineup Sunday, and with good reason.
Manager John Farrell bumped Mookie Betts up to the leadoff spot and batted Andrew Benintendi cleanup Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, and the change produced an 11-1 Red Sox rout at Target Field. That same lineup will take the field Sunday in the Red Sox’s series finale versus the Twins, with one exception: Deven Marrero will start at third base and bat ninth in place of Josh Rutledge.
Benintendi will play center field, meaning Jackie Bradley Jr. is out of the lineup for the second straight game.
Boston’s bats should be in good hands with Chris Sale on the mound. The left-handed ace continued his brilliance in his last start Tuesday, allowing just two runs on three hits over eight innings while striking out 11 Baltimore Orioles batters to pick up the win. Sale has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in five consecutive starts, a feat only Pedro Martinez has matched in a Red Sox uniform.
Minnesota will counter with its own ace in Ervin Santana, who has allowed a total of three earned runs over six starts for an incredible 0.66 ERA.
Here are the lineups for Sunday’s series finale.
RED SOX (16-14)
Mookie Betts, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Andrew Benintendi, CF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Chris Young, LF
Sandy Leon, C
Deven Marrero, 3B
Chris Sale, LHP (2-2, 1.38 ERA)
TWINS (15-13)
Robbie Grossman, RF
Jorge Polanco, SS
Miguel Sano, 3B
Kennys Vargas, 1B
Eduardo Escobar, DH
Chris Gimenez, C
Eddie Rosario, LF
Byron Buxton, CF
Ehire Adrianza, 2B
Ervin Santana, RHP (5-0, 0.66 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
