Ceddanne Rafaela makes first start at second base this season
After the Red Sox exploded for 12 runs on Monday night in the series opener, the offense was held in check, dropping the second game of the series 5-3 to the Orioles on Tuesday night.
With the loss, the Sox slipped back to four games behind the Twins for the final wild-card spot in the American League.
Nick Pivetta will be on the mound as the Red Sox look to take Wednesday’s rubber match.
Pivetta is 8-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 13 career starts against the Orioles. He lost at Baltimore on Aug. 15 after giving up three runs on three hits in five innings.
Ceddanne Rafaela will make his first start at second base this season. He will play alongside shortstop Trevor Story, providing an exciting double-play duo up the middle.
Rafaela has appeared in six games (14 innings) at second base this season.
Connor Wong went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in the loss on Tuesday. He is back behind the plate and will bat sixth.
Triston Casas has 10 RBI in his last 23 games since being reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 16.
Red Sox notes and updates
Tanner Houck threw a bullpen on Wednesday and told reporters he is on track to pitch on Friday against the Yankees in the Bronx.
Roman Anthony was named the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America. Orioles’ Jackson Holliday and Anthony’s close friend texted him and congratulated him on “living the No. 1 prospect in baseball life,” per WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
Key stats and Red Sox lineup
Orioles vs. Pivetta: Colton Cowser 1-3, Gunnar Henderson 1-2, Jackson Holliday 0-2, Eloy Jiménez 1-6, James McCann 0-5, Cedric Mullins 10-28, Ryan O’Hearn 2-8, Emmanuel Rivera 0-3, Adley Rutschman 1-7, Anthony Santander 4-13, Austin Slater 0-0
Santander launched his 40th home run of the year on Monday, becoming the eighth Oriole (ninth occurrence) to do so and the first since Mark Trumbo in 2016.
Henderson went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk on Tuesday. His 111 runs are tied for most by an Oriole since Roberto Alomar scored a franchise-record 132 in 1996 (also Jonathan Villar, 2019).
Kremer will make his 22nd start of the season and the ninth of his career versus the Red Sox. He is 2-4 with a 6.45 ERA and last faced Boston last season when the Orioles clinched the American League East title.
Red Sox vs. Kremer: Wilyer Abreu 0-2, Triston Casas 1-4, Rafael Devers 7-18, Jarren Duran 1-4, Danny Jansen 2-5, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-3, Rob Refsnyder 2-2, Trevor Story 1-2, Enmanuel Valdez 0-2, Connor Wong 0-3, Masataka Yoshida 3-7
Red Sox (73-72) lineup vs. the Orioles (83-63):
Jarren Duran CF
Rafael Devers 3B
Wilyer Abreu RF
Tyler O’Neill LF
Masataka Yoshida DH
Connor Wong C
Triston Casas 1B
Trevor Story SS
Ceddanne Rafaela 2B
SP: RHP Nick Pivetta (5-10, 4.38 ERA)
The first pitch is at 7:10 p.m. and can be seen on NESN, FuboTV, or Sling, and it can be heard on WEEI 93.7 FM.
