The Boston Red Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles with a chance to clinch the series. However, they’ll do so with Caleb Durbin out of the starting lineup, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
Anthony DH, Gasper 1B, Abreu RF, Story SS, Sogard 3B, Kiner-Falefa 2B, Duran LF, White CF, Wong C
The Red Sox are 77-65 on the year and have a stranglehold on an American League Wild Card spot. They’ll still try to play spoiler on their AL East rivals and try to knock them out of the postseason picture.
Sonny Gray takes the mound for Boston. The Orioles will send out Chris Bassitt in what should be a battle of veteran starters. First pitch at Orioles Park at Camden Yards will be at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Red Sox Sit Slumping Caleb Durbin During Orioles Series
With a four-game series and Durbin slumping, it made sense for the Red Sox to give the 26-year-old infielder a breather. His last extra-base hit came on August 7. Since August 8, he’s been hitting just .233 with a .606 OPS.
Overall, Durbin has been just below a league-average hitter in his first season in Boston, with a 97 wRC+. He carries a .248/.324/.381 slash with 12 home runs. His 2.4 fWAR for the season is buoyed by strong defense at third base and baserunning.
The Red Sox will need Durbin to break out of this slump by the time the postseason rolls around. The good news for Boston is he’s done it before this season.
Durbin overcame a brutal early-season stretch with a strong two-month stretch from June 18 to August 18. He slashed .328/.406/.513 with nine of his 12 home runs.
His surge played a huge role in the team’s midseason revival. It also helped erase the sting of watching Kyle Harrison’s breakout with the Milwaukee Brewers. Durbin, along with Anthony Seigler and Andruw Monasterio, has been critical to the Red Sox’s postseason hopes.
Boston Red Sox Right Now
The Boston Red Sox enter this game against the Baltimore Orioles with a five-game lead for the American League’s second Wild Card spot. They have a chance to really crush their division rival’s hopes with a win.
The Orioles are hanging on by a thread in the AL Wild Card picture, sitting three games behind the Cleveland Guardians. With both the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays chasing the Guardians, the Red Sox have a chance to impact the postseason picture as both a spoiler and contender.
Red Sox Announce Caleb Durbin Decision During Orioles Series