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BOSTON — The Red Sox offense will face its toughest challenge yet Saturday — and they’ll do so without a couple of key hitters.
Facing reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Boston is sitting Friday hero Masataka Yoshida, as well as Jarren Duran, starting catcher Carlos Narváez and second baseman Marcelo Mayer on Saturday. Instead, Alex Cora is emptying the bench with Andruw Monasterio playing shortstop (and hitting second) and Connor Wong (catcher) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (second base) both playing. Trevor Story is the designated hitter, batting fourth.
Roman Anthony is in left field and leading off before three right-handed hitters (Monasterio, Willson Contreras and Story). It’s a similar lineup to what Cora rolled out last time the Red Sox faced a lefty (Milwaukee’s Shane Drohan) on April 8. Monasterio hit second that day, too.
The Red Sox have only faced two lefties all season (Drohan and Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott, on Opening Day). They will face two more tough ones in the coming days with Detroit’s Framber Valdez and New York’s Max Fried on the schedule. Expect Cora to keep sitting Mayer, who has just four plate appearances against lefties all year, and finding at-bats for Monasterio and Kiner-Falefa. Yoshida, who hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning Friday, is a career .237 hitter with a .653 OPS against southpaws.
The Red Sox got to Skubal last season in Detroit, scoring five runs on seven hits in 6 ⅓ innings on May 14. He dominated right-handed batters (.572 OPS) in his Cy Young campaign but was particularly tough against lefties, holding them to a .215 average and .507 OPS. That’s why the Red Sox are playing just two left-handed batters (Anthony and Wilyer Abreu) against him.
On the mound for Boston is righty Brayan Bello, who pitched well Sunday in St. Louis (2 earned runs in 6 ⅔ innings) after a bumpy start to the season. First pitch from Fenway is at 4:05 p.m. ET as the Red Sox look for their first three-game winning streak of 2026.
DETROIT TIGERS (10-10) vs. BOSTON RED SOX (8-11) · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 20
FIRST PITCH: 4:10 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: NESN
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Tarik Skubal (2-2, 2.22 ERA) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (1-1, 6.14 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
- Roman Anthony LF
- Andruw Monasterio SS
- Willson Contreras 1B
- Trevor Story SS
- Wilyer Abreu RF
- Ceddanne Rafaela CF
- Caleb Durbin 3B
- Connor Wong C
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa
TIGERS LINEUP:
- Kevin McGonigle 3B
- Gleyber Torres 2B
- Colt Keith DH
- Riley Greene LF
- Spencer Torkelson 1B
- Kerry Carpenter RF
- Wenceel Pérez CF
- Javier Báez SS
- Jake Rogers C
More Red Sox coverage
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- Finally, run prevention works in Red Sox’ favor | Sean McAdam
- ‘Lucky’ Red Sox hero Masataka Yoshida: ‘You never know when my number gets called’
- Red Sox reactions: In extras, Masataka Yoshida wins it in a pinch
- Red Sox injuries: Kutter Crawford (elbow) likely to have MRI; key reliever slow in return bid
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