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The Boston Red Sox announced a lineup decision involving Anthony Seigler ahead of their series opener against the Blue Jays. Getty
Anthony Seigler is batting leadoff for Boston again Friday, a stubborn vote of confidence from a manager watching him grind through a two-week slump even as the Red Sox continued winning. Now, Boston looks to get back on the winning track after seeing their historic 15-game winning streak come crashing to a halt on Wednesday.
The move raises an immediate question about where Seigler fits in Bostonâs plans as the Red Sox continue to adjust their lineup for a playoff drive that seemed unimaginable less than a month ago.
The Boston Red Sox second baseman gets the top spot again as Boston opens a series at Fenway Park against Trey Yesavage and the Blue Jays. According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Friday’s lineup will consist of Seigler at second, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, Wilyer Abreu in right, Willson Contreras at first, Masataka Yoshida at DH, Caleb Durbin at third, Jarren Duran in left, Andruw Monasterio at short and Connor Wong catching, with Patrick Sandoval starting.
Record: 47-56 | ||||
SP: Trey Yesavage (RHP) | 4-5 | 3.78 ERA | ||||
# | Player | Pos | AVG | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ernie Clement | SS | .296 | .423 |
2 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 1B | .259 | .353 |
3 | Kazuma Okamoto | 3B | .224 | .440 |
4 | George Springer | DH | .229 | .391 |
5 | Alejandro Kirk | C | .219 | .343 |
6 | Davis Schneider | LF | .150 | .290 |
7 | Daulton Varsho | CF | .237 | .377 |
8 | Luis UrÃas | 2B | .242 | .455 |
9 | Myles Straw | RF | .219 | .313 |
Anthony Seigler’s Cold Streak Meets Red Sox Trust
Seigler is hitting .245 this season with two home runs, seven RBIs and a .697 OPS, according to MLB.com’s player data, but his last 13 games reveal a disturbing trend, with just nine base hits in his last 50 at-bats, a .180 average. Compare that to the .351 he ran in his first 11 games after his late-June call-up. But interim manager Chad Tracy, at least so far, has not even dropped Seigler in the batting order, at least not for Friday’s game at Fenway Park.
“We talked about it before we even got here, his ability to work at-bats, his ability to swing at strikes, take balls, he knows the strike zone,” Tracy said back on July 5 in Anaheim, according to the Boston Herald. “The numbers in Triple-A carry huge walk rates, especially hitting left-handed. He understands the zone, he puts the bat on the ball, he can draw long at-bats and help hopefully get the game started off right for us. He’s done that a few times. He’s the logical choice for it.”
Seigler, acquired from Milwaukee in February in the trade that also brought Durbin and Monasterio to Boston, has embraced the job through the cold stretch.
“It’s been fun to say the least,” Seigler told the Herald on July 20. “I’m very grateful that I’m able to be in the spot that I’m in, I’m glad they trust me in that spot, I’m just trying to play the game the right way and I’m leaning on my teammates a lot.”
Boston Red Sox | ||||
Record: 52-49 | ||||
SP: Patrick Sandoval (LHP) | 0-0 | 4.82 ERA | ||||
# | Player | Pos | AVG | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Anthony Seigler | 2B | .245 | .383 |
2 | Ceddanne Rafaela | CF | .280 | .437 |
3 | Wilyer Abreu | RF | .259 | .449 |
4 | Willson Contreras | 1B | .293 | .559 |
5 | Masataka Yoshida | DH | .268 | .394 |
6 | Caleb Durbin | 3B | .237 | .397 |
7 | Jarren Duran | LF | .190 | .342 |
8 | Andruw Monasterio | SS | .247 | .440 |
9 | Connor Wong | C | .270 | .361 |
Red Sox Riding High After Landmark Streak Snaps
Boston was 32-46 on June 24, worst mark in the American League. Then they proceeded to win 20 of their next 23 games, including the 15-game winning streak that tied the franchise record set in 1946, the second-longest run in baseball this decade behind only the 2021 St. Louis Cardinals’ 17-gamer, according to CBS Sports.
The run ended Wednesday in a doubleheader split with the Baltimore Orioles, a 6-3 win in Game 1 that matched the record, followed by a 5-1 loss in the nightcap.
Willson Contreras addressed the group after.
“I think we can beat anybody, that’s lesson No. 1,” Contreras said, recounting his message in an interview, as quoted by The Athletic. “There’s a lot of games to be played. But our mindset is to get to the playoffs.”
“What happened within the streak, the way that the identity of the team changed within it, is most important,” Tracy added. “If that’s who we are as a team, and we keep doing that, we’re going to win games.”
Boston now sits at 52-49, third in the American League East, 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees and 6 1/2 back of the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. As the Red Sox face the defending American League champion Blue Jays Friday, they are looking to Seigler to break his slump and become the lineup’s spark plug once again.
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