Red Sox to play doubleheader; Nick Pivetta starts Game 1, Crawford Game 2
The Red Sox needed to sweep the Twins in this weekend’s three-game series at Fenway Park to keep their postseason hopes alive. Instead, the Red Sox bats failed to cash in on numerous opportunities to plate runs on Friday night and were defeated by the Twins 4-2 in 12 innings.
The anemic Red Sox offense struck out 20 times; they were a horrendous 1-for-19 with the potential winning runs on third base in the ninth, 10th, and 11th innings. They also had the bases loaded in the eighth inning.
With facing a five-game deficit for the final American League wild-card spot, the Sox are essentially playing out the remainder of the nine games this season and might do it without slugger Rafael Devers.
The All-Star third baseman has been laboring for a while now at the plate dealing with sore shoulders. Following the loss on Friday night, reporters asked Alex Cora if Devers was ok.
“No, he’s not. … Probably this is it for him,” Cora told reporters, per The Boston Globe‘s Alex Speier.
Devers underwent an MRI on Saturday afternoon to determine the severity of the injury to his shoulders. The Red Sox placed Devers on the 15-day injured list, ending his season and recalled Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester to take his spot on the roster.
“I think overall, injuries aside, he was one of the best hitters, if not the best hitter the big leagues for two and a half months and it was fun to see,” manager Alex Cora said Saturday. “I know the numbers are the numbers defensively. But he made some improvements in certain areas.”
The Red Sox and Twins will play a doubleheader after Saturday’s game was washed out due to rain.
Nick Pivetta will make his 26th start and pitch in the first game of the doubleheader. The righty is 5-11 with a 4.37 ERA and has 162 strikeouts over 134 innings.
Kutter Crawford will be on the mound for Boston making his 32end start of the year for the second game on Sunday. Crawford will make his third career start against the Twins; he owns a 6.55 ERA with 12 strikeouts and nine walks in four games. The righty has tossed five innings or more in 11 of his 14 starts; nine of those, he’s gone six innings or more.
Romy Gonzalez will bat second and start at third base with Devers on the shelf. Trevor Story will bat cleanup and play shortstop with Vaughn Grissom as his double play partner.
Grissom makes his first start at second base for the first time since June 1, when he went on the injured list. Before rejoining the Red Sox on Friday night, Grissom recorded multiple hits in nine of his last 21 games with the WooSox.
“We’re going to get Vaughn as many games as possible this week,” said Cora. “It will be good. Even yesterday (as a late-inning replacement), he was moving well to first base. That’s the fastest that I’ve seen him run. He looks stronger. He’s in a good place. I talked to him after the game. I don’t want him to come here to think that he has to show us who he is.
“(We told him) ‘Just keep doing the things that you were doing in Triple A with the structure of your work—pre-game meetings, post-game meetings, defensive work...everything you were doing there with Chad (Tracey, WooSox manager) and the group, we’re going to do it here and we’re going to help you out.’"
Red Sox roster moves
The Red Sox reinstated right-handed reliever Luis García off the injured list and optioned Cooper Criswell to Triple-A Worcester.
García was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation on Aug. 27. He has been subpar out of the bullpen since the Red Sox acquired him at the trade deadline for four prospects. The righty owns a 10.32 ERA, surrendering 13 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings (11 games).
Criswell pitched in the 12th inning of Friday night’s loss versus the Twins. He gave up three runs (two earned) off three hits with one walk and strikeout. The right-hander has pitched in a career-high 26 games (18 starts) while posting a 4.08 ERA with 73 strikeouts.
Boston also recalled Mickey Gasper from Triple-A Worcester and he will take Devers spot on the roster. He has played in 10 games for Boston this season, his Major League debut, making three starts at second base. Gasper is looking for his first big league hit.
Key stats and Red Sox lineup
Twins vs. Crawford: Byron Buxton 1-2, Willi Castro 0-2, Carlos Correa 2-7, Ryan Jeffers 2-2, Edouard Julien 0-3, Trevor Larnach 0-1, Royce Lewis 2-2, Manuel Margot 1-2, Jose Miranda 1-1, Carlos Santana 0-2
Twins starter: RHP Pablo López (15-8, 3.84 ERA)
The Twins lead the Tigers by one game for the final American League wild-card spot. López is 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA over seven straight quality starts dating back to Aug. 6.
This will be his first career start at Fenway Park. He last faced the Sox on May 4 at Target Field and earned a 3-1 win, allowing just one run on five hits in six innings with one walk and eight strikeouts.
López is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA with four walks and 17 strikeouts in his career versus Boston.
Red Sox vs. López: Wilyer Abreu 1-3, Triston Casas 1-3, Rafael Devers 0-6, Jarren Duran 3-5, Romy González 0-3, Vaughn Grissom 1-4, Tyler O’Neill 1-10, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-2, Trevor Story 0-3, Connor Wong 2-5, Masataka Yoshida 0-3
Game 1 Red Sox (76-78) lineup vs. Twins (81-73):
Jarren Duran LF
Romy Gonzalez 3B
Masataka Yoshida DH
Trevor Story SS
Triston Casas 1B
Vaughn Grissom 2B
Wilyer Abreu RF
Danny Jansen C
Ceddanne Rafaela SS
SP: RHP Nick Pivetta (5-11, 4.37 ERA)
The first pitch for Game 1 is at 12:35 p.m. and Game 2 is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. and can be seen on NESN, Fubo, and Sling TV, and it can be heard on WEEI 93.7 FM.
