The Boston Red Sox host the Atlanta Braves in the rubber game of a three-game series on Thursday. Lineups for both teams are below.
The Red Sox shut out the Braves 8-0 behind seven strong innings from rookie left-hander Connolly Early on Wednesday. In the series opener, a ninth-inning rally fell short for Boston, with Atlanta winning 7-6.
Boston Red Sox Announce Righty Lineup vs. Chris Sale in Series Finale
GettyLeadoff hitter Jarren Duran #16 is one of only two left-handed batters for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.
Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy revealed a lineup that featured only two left-handed batters against Braves lefty Chris Sale for Thursday afternoon’s series finale. Another Red Sox left-handed rookie, Payton Tolle, takes the mound for Boston.
Here is the Red Sox starting lineup announced by Tracy.
| Batter | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarren Duran | LF | L | 8 | 27 | 10 | .213 | .672 |
| Ceddanne Rafaela | CF | R | 5 | 23 | 4 | .285 | .791 |
| Wilyer Abreu | RF | L | 6 | 22 | 4 | .285 | .779 |
| Willson Contreras | 1B | R | 11 | 33 | 1 | .283 | .887 |
| Andruw Monasterio | DH | R | 1 | 10 | 1 | .247 | .673 |
| Nick Sogard | 2B | S | 0 | 2 | 0 | .300 | .833 |
| Isiah Kiner-Falefa | SS | R | 1 | 10 | 4 | .276 | .706 |
| Carlos Narváez | C | R | 2 | 3 | 1 | .218 | .628 |
| Caleb Durbin | 3B | R | 1 | 16 | 4 | .163 | .479 |
Here is the Braves lineup:
| Batter | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Acuña Jr. | RF | R | 2 | 12 | 8 | .236 | .695 |
| Mauricio Dubón | LF | R | 3 | 29 | 0 | .259 | .697 |
| Matt Olson | 1B | L | 15 | 44 | 1 | .259 | .887 |
| Ozzie Albies | 2B | S | 8 | 27 | 0 | .269 | .745 |
| Austin Riley | 3B | R | 8 | 31 | 3 | .221 | .679 |
| Michael Harris II | CF | L | 12 | 32 | 3 | .298 | .846 |
| Jorge Mateo | SS | R | 2 | 6 | 6 | .313 | .806 |
| Dominic Smith | DH | L | 5 | 24 | 0 | .324 | .861 |
| Sandy León | C | S | 0 | 0 | 0 | .100 | .200 |
The two lefties, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, bat first and third, respectively. The remaining seven spots go to right-handed or switch hitters, with Nick Sogard the lone switch-hitter.
Sale enters Thursday carrying a 7-3 record with a 1.89 ERA, 72 strikeouts and a 0.87 WHIP across 62 innings this season, according to stats compiled by Sports Illustrated reporter Peter Dewey. Sale has surrendered one or fewer runs in eight of his 10 starts. Opposing batters are hitting just .181 against him, and his chase rate ranks in the 98th percentile while his strikeout rate sits in the 93rd, as reported by Eric Rosales of Covers.com.
Chris Sale’s History Against the Boston Red Sox
The Atlanta Braves acquired Sale from Boston in December 2023. The veteran left-hander waived his no-trade clause to join Atlanta in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom and cash. Since the deal, Sale has gone 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA against his former club, striking out 41 batters across 32 innings.
“It’s always weird facing your old team,” Sale told MLB.com reporter Ian Browne after his first Braves start against Boston in May 2024. “I love those guys. I always will. The memories I made with them were good and bad.”
In that outing, Sale fired six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a 5-0 Atlanta win. Thursday, however, marks his first start at Fenway Park while wearing an Atlanta Braves uniform.
Sale has been equally candid about what he left behind in Boston.
“Yeah, we won a championship together,” he told MLB.com. “I watched Rafael Devers make his major league debut and turn into a $300 million superstar.” The separation from Boston, he said, was “about as clean a break as you could possibly have from one team to another.”
Tolle enters Thursday at 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 36.2 innings. His expected ERA of 2.20 ranks in the 97th percentile league-wide and his expected batting average against of .182 sits in the 95th percentile, according to Sports Illustrated. But the Red Sox are just 2-4 in his six outings despite the strong underlying numbers.
Atlanta arrives at Fenway at 37-19 overall and 20-9 on the road. Boston is 23-31 and last in the AL East. First pitch Thursday is set for 4:10 p.m. ET.
Red Sox Announce Lineup Built to Face Chris Sale in Braves Finale