The Red Sox are keeping the momentum rolling, but Tuesday night’s lineup looks a lot different from the one that powered Boston past the Angels a night earlier.
After winning their fifth straight game Monday, the Red Sox shuffled several regulars out of the starting nine for the second game of the series at Fenway Park. Jarren Duran and Adley Rutschman, both of whom went deep in the 5-2 win, are out against Angels left-hander Reid Detmers.
Boston posted its lineup on X with a simple note: “Our next opportunity.”
Roman Anthony moves back to left field and will lead off after serving as the designated hitter Monday. Jahmai Jones gets a rare start in the No. 2 spot as the DH, with Wilyer Abreu hitting third in right field and Trevor Story staying put in the cleanup role at shortstop.
The rest of the order has a fresh look too. Nick Sogard starts at first base and bats fifth, taking over for Mickey Gasper. Caleb Durbin remains at third, Andruw Monasterio handles second base, Eli White fills center field in Duran’s place, and Connor Wong catches for Boston instead of Rutschman.
Here’s how the Red Sox line up:
Roman Anthony, LF
Jahmai Jones, DH
Wilyer Abreu, RF
Trevor Story, SS
Nick Sogard, 1B
Caleb Durbin, 3B
Andruw Monasterio, 2B
Eli White, CF
Connor Wong, C
Patrick Sandoval gets the start on the mound for Boston.
Monday’s game was fueled by the long ball from two players now getting the night off. Duran opened the scoring with his 20th homer of the season, and Rutschman delivered the biggest swing of the night in the second inning, launching a three-run shot that pushed Boston ahead 4-0. It was Rutschman’s fourth homer since joining the Red Sox, and the 112.1 mph blast was the hardest-hit ball of his MLB career.
Even with those two out of the lineup, Boston still keeps plenty of punch in the middle of the order with Anthony, Abreu and Story occupying the key run-producing spots.
The assignment won’t be easy, though. Detmers comes in with a 4-8 record and a 3.44 ERA, but he’s been sharp since the All-Star break.
Over his last nine starts, he owns a 1.52 ERA with 59 strikeouts and just nine walks. In his previous outing, he held the New York Yankees to one run over seven innings while striking out eight.
Sandoval brings a 1-4 record and a 4.41 ERA into the matchup, and he’ll do it against his former club for the first time after six seasons with Los Angeles.
Boston improved to 80-65 with Monday’s win. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET, with NESN carrying the broadcast.
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