dailyloe.com – The Boston Red Sox will play the Detroit Tigers on Patriots Day at 11:10 a.m. The game is the finale of a four-game series. Boston aims to salvage a series split after losing the last two games. The Patriots Day matchup is a highlight of the Boston sports calendar.
Meteorologist Dave Epstein forecasts cold temperatures for the day. Morning temperatures will struggle to get out of the upper 30s. Afternoon temperatures may reach the low 50s. The weather is expected to be dry.
The Red Sox lost the Sunday game by a score of 6-2. They have managed just four total runs in the series’ first three games. Their record now stands at 8-13 for the season. The Tigers hold a 12-10 record.
Right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray will start for the Red Sox. Gray has a record of 2-1 and a 4.43 ERA this season. He is looking to bounce back from a recent loss. Last Tuesday, Gray allowed five runs on nine hits in four innings.
Gray has historically performed well against the Tigers. He is 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 11 appearances against them. Ten of those appearances were starts. The Tigers’ lineup has varying histories against Gray.
Detroit will start right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty. Flaherty has an 0-1 record and a 4.05 ERA this year. He has not recorded a win this season. Flaherty allowed only one run in each of his last two starts.
In his last two outings, Flaherty struck out 13 batters over 11 and two-thirds innings. He has faced the Red Sox three times previously in his career. Several Boston hitters have past experience batting against him. Their statistics against Flaherty are mixed.
The Red Sox lineup features Roman Anthony in left field and Willson Contreras at first base. Wilyer Abreu is in right field and Masataka Yoshida is the designated hitter. Trevor Story plays shortstop and Jarren Duran is in center field.
Caleb Durbin is at third base and Marcelo Mayer is at second base. Omar Narváez is the catcher. The Tigers’ lineup includes Jace McGonigle at shortstop and Gleyber Torres at second base. Colt Keith is at first base and Riley Greene is in left field.
Dillon Dingler is the designated hitter and Kerry Carpenter plays right field. Matt Vierling is in center field and Buddy Lee is at third base. Jake Rogers is the catcher. The game will be televised on NESN and broadcast on WEEI-FM 93.7.
A key statistic highlights the Red Sox’s pitching dependency. The team is 0-13 when their starter pitches fewer than six innings. They are 8-0 when the starter goes at least six innings. This underscores the importance of Gray’s outing length.
Red Sox pitchers have allowed 15 home runs in their last eight games. They allowed just two home runs in the seven games prior to that. This indicates a recent trend of giving up more long balls. Controlling home runs will be a focus.
Ceddanne Rafaela has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games. During this streak, he is batting .292 with a .393 on-base percentage. His OPS over that span is .810. Caleb Durbin has reached base in each of his last 13 starts.
Following this game, the Red Sox schedule shifts. They will host the New York Yankees for a three-game series. That series is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. The Patriots Day game concludes their current series with Detroit.
