With Tarik Skubal pitching for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora made a sweeping decision before Saturday’s game. Cora announced four lineup changes against Skubal, as Boston tries to extend its short winning streak to three games. The Red Sox have a tall order, facing Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.
The Red Sox narrowly edged the Detroit Tigers in the opener of their four-game series on Friday, winning 1-0 in 10 innings on a walk-off single by Masataka Yoshida. But in one Cora decision, the lefty-swinging Yoshida will not be in the lineup on Saturday to face the dominant left-hander Skubal.
Cora also will sit left-handed hitters Jarren Duran and Marcelo Mayer against Skubal. In an unusual move, Cora also decided to start catcher Connor Wong, a rare day-game-after-night-game start for a catcher. Carlos Narvaez, though a right-handed batter, will not be in the starting lineup for the Red Sox. The lineup changes were first reported by Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Reasons for Sweeping Lineup Changes
Cora also decided to place shortstop Trevor Story in the designated hitter spot, electing to go with offseason trade acquisition Andruw Monasterio at short and, in perhaps the most surprising move of all, batting second against Skubal.
Here is the complete starting lineup for the Red Sox for the 4:10 p.m. ET game at Fenway Park on Saturday against the Tigers.
| Order | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roman Anthony | LF |
| 2 | Andruw Monasterio | SS |
| 3 | Willson Contreras | 1B |
| 4 | Trevor Story | DH |
| 5 | Wilyer Abreu | RF |
| 6 | Ceddanne Rafaela | CF |
| 7 | Caleb Durbin | 3B |
| 8 | Connor Wong | C |
| 9 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | 2B |
For about the last decade, the No. 2 spot in an MLB team’s batting order has been the preferred place for the team’s top hitter, rather than the traditional No. 3 spot.
Batting Monasterio in the No. 2 hole is an unusual move by Cora, to say the least. A utility player with just 19 at-bats so far this season and a .732 OPS, Monasterio looks better suited to the bottom part of the order. Willson Contreras (.901 OPS) or Wilyer Abreu (.889 OPS) seem better suited to the No. 2 spot.
Other than the puzzling Monasterio move, Cora’s decisions to sit Duran, Mayer and Yoshida, who are all left-handed hitters, appear motivated by the desire to field a heavily right-handed lineup against Skubal.
Only Abreu and Anthony bat lefty in Saturday’s heavily revised Red Sox lineup.
Skubal’s Record Against Red Sox
Though indisputably one of the top pitchers in baseball, Skubal has seen mixed results against the Red Sox in his seven-year career.
The 29-year-old southpaw has faced Boston five times with a 2-2 record plus one no-decision. That came in his most recent start against the Red Sox, on May 14 of last year, when he threw 6 1/3 innings as Boston hitters tagged him for five runs and seven hits. The Red Sox ultimately lost that game 6-5 in walk-off fashion in Detroit.
Skubal’s head-to-head matchups against Boston hitters make Cora’s decision to sit Narvaez even more unusual. Facing Skubal three times in his short career, the Red Sox catcher has a hit, a walk and a strikeout.
Otherwise, it is Wong who has the best record against Skubal, with two singles in five at-bats with no walks or strikeouts.
Anthony and Abreu will both be getting the first at-bats of their careers against Skubal.
Red Sox Make Sweeping Lineup Decision For Tigers Game vs. Tarik Skubal