BOSTON — For the second straight night, the Red Sox have a chance to clinch their first playoff spot in four years. A win tonight over the Detroit Tigers would return the Sox to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
Boston’s magic number is one — meaning any combination of one more Red Sox victory or another loss by the Houston Astros would wrap up a wild card spot. It’s possible, of course, that the Red Sox could lose Friday night and still get into the postseason hours later if the Astros lose in Anaheim to the Los Angeles Angels.
The lineup for the potential clincher is pretty standard, though outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela has been elevated to the sixth spot. He had been frequently hitting eighth or ninth in recent weeks.
Lefty Kyle Harrison, who made his first start for the Red Sox last weekend against the Rays, will get a chance to help the Sox punch their October ticket.
The Red Sox are coming off a successful final road trip of the season, having won series in both Tampa and Toronto, going 4-2. They could use a turnaround at home, though, where they’ve struggled in September
BOSTON RED SOX (87-72) vs. DETROIT TIGERS (86-73) · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 160
FIRST PITCH: 7:05 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: AppleTV+
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Kyle Harrison (1-1, 3.58) vs. RHP Casey Mize (14-6, 3.91).
RED SOX LINEUP:
1) LF Jarren Duran
2) SS Trevor Story
3) 3B Alex Bregman
4) DH Masataka Yoshida
5) 2B Romy Gonzalez
6) CF Ceddanne Rafaela
7) 1B Nathaniel Lowe
8) RF Wilyer Abreu
9) C Carlos Narvaez
TIGERS LINEUP:
1) DH Jahmai Jones
2) 2B Gleyber Torres
3) RF Wenceel Perez
4) 1B Spencer Torkelson
5) LF Riley Greene
6) 3B Andy Ibanez
7) C Dillon Dingler
8) CF Parker Meadows
9) SS Javier Baez
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.