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Red Sox lineup has same No. 2 hitter (hitting .103) for second straight night vs. Cardinals
TL;DR
Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin, hitting just .103, remains in the No. 2 spot for the second consecutive game against the Cardinals. Manager Alex Cora is experimenting with the lineup as the team struggles to score runs early in the season.
ST. LOUIS — With the Red Sox struggling to score runs in the early part of the regular season, Alex Cora is actively searching for an effective mix at the top of his lineup. On Saturday, for the second straight day, that mix will include third baseman Caleb Durbin despite his early-season struggles.
Durbin, who is hitting just .103 (4-for-39) with eight strikeouts so far this season, is in the No. 2 spot for the second straight night as Boston faces the Cardinals on Saturday. This time, Roman Anthony is leading off (as the designated hitter) after sitting out Friday’s 3-2 loss. Jarren Duran is in left field and hitting third with Masataka Yoshida the odd man out of the outfield/DH mix against righty Kyle Leahy.
Elsewhere in the Red Sox lineup, things are status quo with Marcelo Mayer (second base) and Carlos Narváez (catcher) both starting against the right-handed Leahy.
Cora had used Trevor Story in the second spot for the first nine games before moving him down in the lineup Monday. Since, the Sox have employed Yoshida, Duran, Andruw Monasterio and Durbin (now twice) there. It remains to be seen if that plan will stick.
On the mound for the Red Sox is lefty Ranger Suárez, who is in dire need of a bounce-back start after logging an 8.64 ERA in his first two starts for Boston. Saturday’s game is an hour earlier than Friday’s, at 7:15 p.m. ET, and will air nationally on FOX.
BOSTON RED SOX (4-9) vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (8-5) · BUSCH STADIUM · ST. LOUIS, MO · GAME 14
FIRST PITCH: 7:15 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: FOX
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Ranger Suárez (0-1, 8.64 ERA) vs. RHP Kyle Leahy (1-1, 5.40 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
- Roman Anthony DH
- Caleb Durbin 3B
- Jarren Duran LF
- Willson Contreras 1B
- Wilyer Abreu RF
- Trevor Story SS
- Marcelo Mayer 2B
- Carlos Narváez C
- Ceddanne Rafaela CF
CARDINALS LINEUP:
- JJ Wetherholt 2B
- Iván Herrera DH
- Jordan Walker RF
- Nolan Gorman 3B
- Ramón Urías 1B
- José Fermín LF
- Thomas Saggese SS
- Pedro Páges C
- Victor Scott II CF
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- If Red Sox offense has ‘more to be desired,’ why didn’t Roman Anthony play Friday? | Chris Cotillo
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Q&A
Why is Caleb Durbin hitting .103 in the Red Sox lineup?
Caleb Durbin is struggling at the plate, with a batting average of .103 due to four hits in 39 at-bats and eight strikeouts this season.
What changes has Alex Cora made to the Red Sox lineup against the Cardinals?
Alex Cora has kept Caleb Durbin in the No. 2 spot for the second straight night and moved Roman Anthony to lead off, while Jarren Duran is batting third.
How has the Red Sox lineup performed early in the season?
The Red Sox have struggled to score runs early in the season, prompting Cora to experiment with various players in key batting positions.
