Rafael Devers back at DH, Connor Wong starts at second base in Game 2 vs. Tigers
The Red Sox are coming off an 7-5 extra-innings win over the Tigers on Friday night.
Tanner Houck pitched well enough to earn the win, hurling six innings, giving up three hits and no runs with two walks and six strikeouts. Instead, the bullpen coughed up the lead in the later innings after Brennan Bernardino gave up a three-run homer to Kerry Carpenter and Kenley Jansen blowing the save in the ninth inning. It was the first blown save from Jansen since July 27.
“I felt like I accomplished my goal of getting back in the zone and going right after hitters,” Houck said. “Overall stuff was maybe down a little bit in terms of movement, but you go out there with the best stuff you have that day.”
Ceddanne Rafaela was the hero; with the ghost runner Nick Sogard on second base, the rookie slugged a two-run homer into the left field seats off Shelby Miller in the 10th inning.
Boston will turn to Nick Pivetta, who is coming off his last outing, where he struck out 10 Blue Jays over six innings on Monday during the first game against the Blue Jays. He’s tossed at least five innings or more in six of his last eight starts, including six or more in four of those games.
The Red Sox will have their hands full facing off against Tigers All-Star and ace Tarik Skubal. The southpaw has faced the Red Sox three times in his career and is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA surrendering 10 earned runs in 15 innings with 12 strikeouts.
Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida has been one of the hottest hitters at the plate since the All-Star break. The left-hander has posted a .931 OPS with 13 extra-base hits and 24 RBI over 36 games.
Despite that, Yoshida was on the bench to begin the Red Sox’ three-game series in Detroit on Friday night. He did get an opportunity to hit, serving as a pinch hitter for Romy Gonzalez in the top of the 10th inning, grounding out to second base.
Yoshida will sit for a second straight game with the Tigers trotting out Skubal on Saturday evening. Even with Yoshida dialed in at the plate, the Red Sox will not play him in the field to try and keep his bat in the lineup.
“Nope,” Cora said when reporters asked if Yoshida could be an option in the outfield. “He’s not playing the outfield. He’s not going to play the outfield. He hasn’t played the outfield the whole season.”
Connor Wong started at catcher Friday night and homered on Friday night. Prior to the game, Wong walked past fellow catcher Danny Jansen, who was standing by a table with boxes of donuts in the middle of it.
According to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, Jansen grabbed a donut and offered one to Wong, but he politely declined.
“I would have hit a homer, but now you’ll hit one,” Jansen said after eating one of the donuts. Wong ended up driving a slider into the Tigers bullpen for his 12th blast of the season.
Story time at Polar Park on Sunday
Trevor Story will begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Sunday and will serve as the team’s designated hitter. The expectation is Story will play again on Wednesday when the WooSox play on the road in Rochester.
When the shortstop comes off the injured list, Story will bat towards the bottom of the lineup, mainly because of where the club is in the season, according to Cora.
Veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks hurled a scoreless inning for the WooSox on Friday night in the team’s 2-1 loss to the Toledo Mud Hens.
Hendriks has made five rehab appearances split between the Sea Dogs and WooSox. The 35-year-old right-hander has allowed one unearned run on three hits over five innings, walked two, and struck out three. The Australian righty is scheduled to pitch for Worcester on Sunday.
Injured Red Sox infielder David Hamilton landed on the injured list this week after he broke his left index finger attempting to drop a bunt in the series with the Blue Jays.
Cora told reporters that he thought Hamilton could help the Red Sox as a pinch runner before the season was over despite not being fully healthy. Instead, the Red Sox will wait until the speedy infielder is 100% healthy and ready to come off the IL.
"The Hamilton thing now is a little bit different than probably yesterday morning, understanding that he cannot move it,” Cora said on Friday to Red Sox beat writers. “If we use him running-wise, it can put him in a bad spot, and then he might need surgery. There’s a lot of stuff that comes into play."
Key stats and Red Sox lineup
Red Sox vs. Skubal: Triston Casas 1-2, Rafael Devers 2-6, Jarren Duran 1-3, Danny Jansen 0-2, Tyler O’Neill 0-2, Rob Refsnyder 2-6, Connor Wong 1-2, Masataka Yoshida 0-3
Tigers vs. Pivetta: Riley Greene 0-2, Andy Ibáñez 0-2, Colt Keith 0-2, Spencer Torkelson 0-2, Matt Vierling 0-2
Red Sox (70-65) lineup at the Tigers (68-68):
Jarren Duran CF
Rob Refsnyder LF
Tyler O’Neill RF
Rafael Devers DH
Romy Gonzalez 3B
Connor Wong 2B
Triston Casas 1B
Danny Jansen C
Ceddanne Rafaela
SP: RHP Nick Pivetta (5-9, 4.61 ERA)
The first pitch is at 6:10 p.m. and can be seen on NESN, FuboTV, or Sling, and it can be heard on WEEI 93.7 FM.
