Chris Sale and Justin Verlander have been here before.
The former American League Central rivals will face each other for the sixth time Saturday at Fenway Park, and this time the Boston Red Sox ace hopes to come out on the winning end.
Sale’s team has lost the previous five battles with the Detroit Tigers right-hander, although neither his former team — the Chicago White Sox — or the Red Sox have given him much run support during those battles.
Verlander and Sale dueled earlier this season with the Tigers rallying against Sale in the eighth inning to grab a 2-1 victory.
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia remains in the No. 2 hole in the Red Sox’s lineup after returning from the disabled list before Boston’s 5-3 win Friday night at Fenway Park.
Here are the complete lineups for Saturday’s Red Sox vs. Tigers game.
RED SOX (33-27)
Mookie Betts, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Josh Rutledge, 3B
Sandy Leon, C
Chris Sale, LHP (7-2, 2.89 ERA)
TIGERS (29-31)
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Nick Castellanos, 3B
Miguel Cabrera, 1B
Victor Martinez, DH
J.D. Martinez, RF
Justin Upton, LF
Mikie Mahtook, CF
James McCann, C
Jose Iglesias, SS
Justin Verlander, RHP (4-4, 4.63 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
