The Boston Red Sox have closed the book on their wildly successful homestand, and now they’re off to the complete other side of the country. Let’s see if they can keep it going against a highly talented Oakland A’s team.
Winners of their last seven games, the Sox are going for No. 8 Friday as they begin a three-game set against the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum.
As for the lineups, the Red Sox are changing a few of their personnel from Thursday’s sweep-clinching walloping of the Kansas City Royals.
J.D. Martinez will get a day off after playing in left field a day earlier. Rafael Devers will take over as the designated hitter, with Marwin Gonzalez playing third base for Devers. Gonzalez will hit sixth.
Michael Chavis also will return to the lineup, batting ninth and playing second base. Christian Vázquez got Thursday off, but is back Friday in place of Connor Wong. He’ll hit seventh and catch Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez.
Here are the full lineups for Friday’s Red Sox-A’s series opener
Red Sox (51-31)
Kiké Hernández, CF
Alex Verdugo, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Rafael Devers, DH
Hunter Renfroe, RF
Marwin Gonzalez, 3B
Christian Vázquez, C
Danny Santana, 1B
Michael Chavis, 2B
Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP (6-4, 5.83 ERA)
Athletics (48-35)
Ramon Laureano, CF
Elvis Andrus, SS
Matt Olson, 1B
Matt Chapman, 3B
Chad Pinder, RF
Jed Lowrie, 2B
Sean Murphy, C
Frank Schwindel, DH
Tony Kemp, LF
Frankie Montas, RHP (7-7, 4.72 ERA)
