After blowing their MLB-leading 12th save since the All-Star break – no other team as more than eight – in Monday night’s series opener with the Astros, the Red Sox are in need of a statement victory.
For the second time in two weeks, the Red Sox will face Ronel Blanco, whom they knocked around at Fenway on Aug. 9. Over four innings, they tagged him for three runs, two earned, non four hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Most notably, they hit the righty’s slider well: entering that contest, batters were averaging .166 with a .242 slugging percentage against.
The less-promising takeaway from that game? The bullpen blew a late lead for the loss in that one, too.
As for Nick Pivetta, the Red Sox starter’s top priority will be shutting down the hard-hitting Jordan Alvarez, a near-impossible feat for any pitcher. When the Astros were at Fenway, Alex Cora compared Alvarez to David Ortiz…
Jarren Duran CF
Wilyer Abreu RF
Triston Casas 1B
Rafael Devers 3B
Tyler O’Neill LF
Masataka Yoshida DH
Danny Jansen C
David Hamilton 2B
Ceddanne Rafaela SS
Nick Pivetta RHP
Jose Altuve 2B
Yordan Alvarez DH
Yainer Diaz C
Jeremy Peña SS
Jon Singleton 1B
Mauricio Dubón LF
Jake Meyers CF
Shay Whitcomb 3B
Chas McCormick RF
Ronel Blanco
When: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston
Broadcast info: NESN, WEEI 93.7 FM, WCCM 1490 AM (Spanish)
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