The Boston Red Sox lost 2-1 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday to even the series at one game apiece entering Sunday’s finale.
On the mound for the Red Sox will be left-hander Patrick Sandoval, while the Rays will send out righty Griffin Jax.
Ahead of the matchup, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy didn’t make many major changes to his starting lineup but made a few tweaks, including one involving outfielder Jarren Duran.
Red Sox Announce Duran Change
After not playing in the series opener and batting eighth on Saturday, Tracy is moving Duran up one spot in the batting order to the seven-hole, where he’ll hit in front of Isaiah Kiner-Falefa and Nate Eaton.
Duran will once again start in center field, where he’s continued to play since injuries to Ceddanne Rafaela and Eli White.
Here’s the full Red Sox lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Red Sox 9/20 R. Anthony LF M. Gasper DH A. Rutschman C T. Story SS N. Sogard 1B C. Durbin 3B J. Duran CF I. Kiner-Falefa 2B N. Eaton RF P. Sandoval SP.”
Red Sox 9/20
R. Anthony LF
M. Gasper DH
A. Rutschman C
T. Story SS
N. Sogard 1B
C. Durbin 3B
J. Duran CF
I. Kiner-Falefa 2B
N. Eaton RFP. Sandoval SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 20, 2026
Duran’s 2026 Season
It’s been a challenging year for Duran. And he didn’t even know if he’d remain in a Red Sox uniform beyond the Aug. 4 trade deadline after his name surfaced as a possible trade candidate for weeks.
Yet, he’s still in Boston, and entering Sunday afternoon, he’s hitting .206 across 144 games with 65 runs, 110 hits, 20 home runs, and 69 RBIs while slugging .364 with a .626 OPS.
Looking at the Red Sox
Boston holds an 84-71 overall record with just seven games remaining in the regular season. They’re currently in position to likely be the second Wild Card team in the AL.
If the current standings hold, the Red Sox would travel to the Bronx for a best-of-three series against the New York Yankees in Round 1.
Boston Red Sox Announce Jarren Duran Change Before Rays Series Finale