The Boston Red Sox have seen better days, with the team coming off a very tough series against the rival New York Yankees.
Boston dropped three of four games to New York, falling further down in the standings. The Red Sox are now 74-63 on the season, trailing the Yankees by four games in the American League wild-card standings.
The series with the Yankees is especially important because Boston has now lost the tiebreaker for any seeding purposes. But it also shows that the Red Sox may be behind the Yankees in terms of true contention this year.
Boston got off to a very slow start to the season, but they have bounced back, following a hot stretch of games. However, the last few weeks have seen them come back to life a little, with the Yankees series giving them a reality check of sorts.
Now, the Red Sox are preparing to face off against the Seattle Mariners in a three-game series. Seattle has seen its own share of problems this year, so Boston will look to take advantage of everything in this matchup.
Jarren Duran News Announced vs Mariners
Ahead of the first game, the Red Sox have released the lineup against the Mariners. Within it, outfielder Jarren Duran will be hitting seventh.
Red Sox 8/31
R. Anthony DH
M. Gasper 1B
C. Rafaela CF
W. Abreu RF
N. Sogard 2B
C. Durbin 3B
J. Duran LF
T. Story SS
C. Wong CP. Tolle SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 31, 2026
Duran hit in the number seven spot in the finale against the Yankees, and he has shifted between seven and eight of late. The former All-Star went 0-for-3 against New York in the 16-1 loss on Sunday.
The outfielder’s struggles this year have been well documented, and it’s played into some of the problems of the Red Sox. Overall, he has hit .207 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs, while posting an OPS of .626.
If Duran can put together a nice series against Seattle, it could go a long way to helping Boston with its playoff positioning.
Can the Red Sox Bounce Back vs Seattle?
After the brutal four-game series with the Yankees, the Red Sox will be looking to start anew against the Mariners. Left-hander Payton Tolle will take the mound for Boston to open the series, giving the Red Sox a legitimate chance to win.
Tolle has been excellent for this team all season, with the lefty sporting a 3.09 ERA this year. If he can put together another strong showing, Seattle could be in trouble.
The Mariners offense has been very inconsistent all year long, and Tolle has been electric in different outings this year. Seattle comes into the matchup having lost four in a row, including being swept in the last series.
If Boston can come out of the gate strong to set the tone of the series, it could give them a boost. Playing in front of the Fenway Park faithful should help, but the Red Sox will need to prove themselves once again.
How to Watch Red Sox vs Mariners on Aug 31
First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. PT/6:45 p.m. ET from Fenway Park in Boston. The game will be broadcast on NESN, Mariners.TV, and on the MLB.com app.