Trevor Story at-bat for the Red Sox: Peter Aiken| Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
After a road trip full of ups and downs, the Red Sox return home on Friday to take on the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox went 3-3 against the Cardinals and Twins, to improve to 7-11 through 18 games. They will be looking to get back on track against a Tigers team on a roll.
During their time in St. Louis and Minnesota, the Red Sox offense showed signs of life, scoring at least five runs five times. They were led by Trevor Story, who is hitting .333 in his last seven games. The veteran shortstop has driven in 11 runs during that stretch.
While Story has thrived, the Red Sox starters have had mixed results. In his last outing, ace Garrett Crochet allowed 10 earned runs in 1.2 innings of work against the Twins. The day after, Sonny Gray became the latest pitcher to struggle, allowing five earned runs in four innings. The Red Sox were able to head home on a high note, partly due to another stellar outing from rookie Connelly Early.
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Against the Tigers, the Red Sox will have their work cut out for them with Framber Valdez and Tarik Skubal in line to pitch. That will put more pressure on the offense to produce and the defense to be at its best. If the Red Sox can replicate their play from their last series win against the Brewers, it could be a good start to the home stand.
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Although the Red Sox offense has been locked in of late, Anthony has been unable to get in a groove. In 65 at-bats this season, Anthony has posted a .246 batting average and driven in three runs. When he is at his best, he can be a game-changing bat, which this team is in dire need of. He is going to break out of his slump sooner or later, and against the Tigers would be great timing.
Pitching Matchups
Friday: Ranger Suarez vs. Casey Mize
Saturday: Brayan Bello vs. Tarik Skubal
Sunday: Garrett Crochet vs. Framber Valdez
Monday: Sonny Gray vs. Jack Flaherty
Unique stats:
Red Sox all-time record against Detroit: 922-1067-13
Red Sox’s record at Fenway this season: 3-3