After a series loss against the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox are looking to build momentum following their 9-5 win on Wednesday in new a series against the Detroit Tigers.
However, the Tigers are coming off a perfect 6-0 homestand that snapped a five-game losing streak. The Tigers currently sit in the middle of the American League Central, while the Red Sox are tied for last in the East.
The slow start for Boston has clearly created a cause for change as their lineup will be looking a little different against the Tigers…
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Wilson Contreras Back In The Lineup, Batting No. 2
Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo announced the Sox’s lineup via an X post.
Anthony DH, Contreras 1B, Abreu RF, Story SS, Duran LF, Rafaela CF, Mayer 2B, Durbin 3B, Wong C
RED SOX LINEUP:
- Roman Anthony (L) DH
- Willson Contreras (R) 1B
- Wilyer Abreu (L) RF
- Trevor Story (R) SS
- Jarren Duran (L) LF
- Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF
- Marcelo Mayer (L) 2B
- Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
- Connor Wong (R) C
In previous Red Sox lineups, Contreras was slated batting cleanup with third baseman Caleb Durbin batting second. Tonight’s lineup has Durbin moved all the way down to eighth, shifting around Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela as well.
“Contreras has hit either third (3 times) or fourth (14 times) in his first 17 games of the season but will provide protection for leadoff man Roman Anthony against the Tigers and former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize in the opener of a four-game set,” Cotillo stated in his article.
Contreras was removed in Tuesday’s game against the Twins due to back tightness, and left out off the lineup completely the following day. The first baseman is currently batting .298, the third best on the team.
Red Sox fans can breathe again knowing that Contreras’ injury is not long-lasting.
“Losing Contreras for any extended length of time would’ve also been a crushing blow for the Sox’s defense,” Katie Manganelli of FanSided stated. “For the first time in a long time, Boston has a defensively-capable first baseman — Contreras has logged three outs above average, which ranks in the 98th percentile among first baseman, and two defensive runs saved.”
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Offensive Inconsistency Shifts Around Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu
The Boston Red Sox are in desperate need of a change. After one of the worst starts to a season in franchise history, manager Alex Cora has finally showed a glimpse of what could be a new look.
Boston ranks 23rd in OPS (.681), 22nd in runs (77) and 24th in slugging percentage (.355) and 29th in home runs (12).
Aside from Contreras, right-fielder Wilyer Abreu has been the Red Sox’s most valuable asset. Abreu, 26, is leading the team in batting average (.333), total bases (37), hits (22), and is tied for first in home runs (3) and doubles (4).
With a critical need for an offensive spark early in the lineup, Abreu’s swap with struggling left-fielder Jarren Duran is necessary to turn things around. Duran is second-to-last in batting average, and his splits are far from impressive: .167/.226/.164.
Duran also found himself in a bit of an altercation, involving a fan against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, April 14.
Hopefully a bit of a new look in Boston will prompt a change going forward. The Red Sox face the Tigers at home at 7:15 P.M. EST, available on AppleTV.
Red Sox Announce Lineup Change Hours Before Game Vs. Tigers