With the playoffs quickly approaching, Major League Baseball’s best team has shown no signs of slowing down.
The Boston Red Sox won their 101st game Thursday night when they completed a series sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 victory at Fenway Park. Boston recently became the first team to secure a playoff spot this season, but the Sox will face a tough task Friday night in the series opener against the New York Mets.
While the Mets are counting the days until their season mercifully is over, New York still has a stable of top-tier starting pitchers, one of which, Noah Syndergaard, will get the ball Friday in Boston. Thor has had an average 2018 season numbers-wise, but still is one of baseball’s best pitchers, and will present a big challenge for the Sox’s high-powered lineup.
Manager Alex Cora has elected to trot out his normal lineup against Syndergaard. Mookie Betts returns to the leadoff spot after taking Thursday off. Rafael Devers will bat sixth and play third base while Eduardo Nunez rests his sore right knee, and Blake Swihart will handle the catching for spot-starter William Cuevas and bat ninth.
Here are the complete lineups for Friday’s Red Sox-Mets game:
RED SOX (101-46)
Mookie Betts, RF
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Mitch Moreland, 1B
J.D. Martinez, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Rafael Devers, 3B
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Blake Swihart, C
William Cuevas, RHP (0-0, 3.68 ERA)
METS (68-78)
Amed Rosario, SS
Jeff McNeil, 2B
Michael Conforto, LF
Jay Bruce, 1B
Todd Frazier, 3B
Brandon Nimmo, RF
Dominic Smith, DH
Austin Jackson, CF
Tomás Nido, C
Noah Syndergaard, RHP (11-3, 3.44 ERA)
