Minnesota @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2024 ) Minnesota 4, Boston 2
After rain postponed Saturday's game, the host Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins will be in for a long Sunday at the ballpark as they play a split doubleheader to cap their three-game weekend series.
The original Sunday game will begin an hour ahead of schedule at 12:35 p.m. ET, with the postponed contest being made up as a 5:35 p.m. nightcap.
The Twins (81-73) will go for the series win after picking up a 4-2 victory in 12 innings on Friday. Manager Rocco Baldelli called the triumph one of the biggest of the season, even before considering the lead that his team gained for the third and final wild-card berth in the American League.
Minnesota has a half-game lead over the fourth-place Detroit Tigers.
"I loved what I saw out of the guys," Baldelli said Friday. "It's a huge win, and our backs were up against the wall in that game. You could say, generally speaking in some ways, too, but the way that the guys continued to play hard, play well was exactly what you're looking for."
After eight relievers combined to allow just five hits over Friday's final seven innings, Minnesota ace Pablo Lopez (15-8, 3.84 ERA) will pitch the Sunday opener.
Lopez carries in a streak of seven quality starts dating to his Aug. 6 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander had won four starts in a row before yielding two runs over 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision Monday at Cleveland. The Twins lost 4-3.
Lopez is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox.
At night, Minnesota will throw its second rookie pitcher of the series in right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-3, 6.30 ERA). After being tagged for a 13.06 ERA in his previous three starts, Matthews pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts on Tuesday in a no-decision at Cleveland as the Twins won 4-1.
"There's still some things to do a lot better, but (I'm) really happy with that (outing)," Matthews said. "It's something to build off of."
Sunday will mark the eighth career start and first against Boston for Matthews, who began the season at High-A Cedar Rapids.
The Red Sox (76-78) will play their first game since Rafael Devers was placed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation. The third baseman was just 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts over his last four games.
"Disappointed, right, because he's basically our offense," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "He's the guy, and just the last month has been hard to watch."
The loss of Devers comes at a point when the Boston offense is struggling mightily, having been held to three runs or less in five straight games and six of their last eight.
"It's kind of hard to believe at this point that this is the way we're playing offensively," shortstop Trevor Story said. "It's hard to imagine because I know the type of guys we have, the type of hitters we have, but we're just in a funk right now that we can't shake."
Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-11, 4.37 ERA) will look for his first win since July 29 in the first game on Sunday. He also will aim to bounce back from a Tuesday 8-3 loss at Tampa Bay in which he allowed four runs on five hits and struck out six in 4 2/3 innings.
Pivetta had worked six innings in each of his three prior starts, allowing four combined runs and fanning 20. He is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in three career starts against Minnesota.
Scheduled Saturday starter Kutter Crawford (8-15, 4.19 ERA) is set to pitch the second game for Boston.
Crawford is 0-6 with a 4.28 ERA over his past six starts, though he pitched at least six innings in three straight starts before a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees last Sunday. The right-hander allowed four runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 frames at New York, serving up homers to Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge.
Crawford is 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA in three career meetings (two starts) against the Twins.
--Field Level Media