The Boston Red Sox have a chance to clinch the American League East (again), and they’ve added a little more offensive power to their lineup for the occasion.
After missing their chance Friday in a 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros, the Red Sox will try again for the win Saturday at Fenway Park. Jackie Bradley Jr. will be back in the lineup playing center field and batting ninth after sitting for Game 2 of the four-game series in favor of Rajai Davis.
Christian Vazquez also returns to the lineup Saturday after being scratched in favor of Sandy Leon. The Red Sox wanted Leon to catch starter Doug Fister on Friday, but Vazquez will handle the backstop duties for Drew Pomeranz. It’s an offensive upgrade, as the Puerto Rico native is batting .294 compared to Leon’s .224 average.
Pomeranz will be looking to bounce back from his shortest start of the season during which he gave up five earned runs on seven hits in just two innings of work (plus one batter in the third) Monday in a 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The left-hander is having one of his worst months of the season with a 4.21 ERA in September but otherwise has been able to hold things down this year at 16-6 with a 3.38 ERA.
The Red Sox also made a last-minute scratch and elected to sit second baseman Dustin Pedroia for Brock Holt, who’ll bat eighth. Sox manager John Farrell said Pedroia playing was dependent on field conditions, and the team decided it was too risky for the 34-year-old to be on the wet field with a nagging knee injury.
Here are the Red Sox’s and Astros’ lineups for Saturday’s 1:05 p.m. ET game.
RED SOX (92-68)
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Mookie Betts, RF
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Hanley Ramírez, DH
Rafael Devers, 3B
Christian Vázquez, C
Brock Holt, 2B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Drew Pomeranz, LHP (16-6, 3.38 ERA)
ASTROS (100-60)
George Springer, CF
Alex Bregman, 3B
Jose Altuve, 2B
Carlos Correa, SS
Evan Gattis, DH
Yuli Gurriel, 1B
Brian McCann, C
Cameron Maybin, RF
Derek Fisher, LF
Lance McCullers, RHP (7-3, 4.01 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
