Trevor Story has acclimated himself quite well to Boston, but he’ll get a day off Monday as the Red Sox look to put an exclamation mark on the first home series of the season.
The Red Sox will try to take three of four from the Minnesota Twins bright and early on Marathon Monday, and they’ll try to do so without Story, who is down for the finale. Story has a hit in each of his three games so far at Fenway Park, highlighted by a pair of RBIs in Sunday’s 8-1 win over the Twins. With Story getting a breather, Christian Arroyo will start at second base and hit sixth for the Sox.
That’s not the only change for Alex Cora. Travis Shaw goes back into the lineup for the Red Sox with right-hander Dylan Bundy on the mound for Minnesota. Shaw will hit seventh and play first base giving Bobby Dalbec, who has one hit in his last 11 at-bats, a chance to recharge his batteries. Shaw also has some solid numbers versus Bundy in a very limited sample size, collecting four hits in eight at-bats.
It also would not be surprising to see big days out of both Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers.
The former is 12-for-36 with three home runs in his career off the big right-hander, while two of Devers’ five hits off Bundy have left the ballpark.
The Red Sox will send Rich Hill to the mound with the veteran left-hander looking to build off a solid season debut. It figures to be an emotional day for the Milton, Mass., native, who is making his first start since his father’s death.
Here are the lineups for Monday’s series finale.
BOSTON RED SOX (5-4)
Kiké Hernández, CF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
J.D. Martinez, DH
Alex Verdugo, LF
Christian Arroyo, 2B
Travis Shaw, 1B
Christian Vazquez, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., RF
Rich Hill, LHP (0-0, 6.23 ERA)
MINNESOTA TWINS (3-6)
Jorge Polanco, 2B
Carlos Correa, SS
Gio Urshela, 3B
Kyle Garlick, RF
Gary Sanchez, C
Trevor Larnach, LF
Miguel Sano, 1B
Ryan Jeffers, DH
Gilberto Celestino, CF
Dylan Bundy, RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
