The Red Sox are close to clinching the A.L. East crown. Very close, in fact. They need only to defeat the Yankees tonight, and they're kings of the division for a third straight year.
Unfortunately, they'll have to do it without two of their top contributors. The lineup was released for tonight's bout in the Bronx, and both Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi will be watching the game from the dugout.
Betts was originally scheduled to start in center field tonight (with Jackie Bradley Jr. in left) but Alex Cora opted for caution due to the wet field conditions that pushed the game from 1:05 to 7:05pm. Betts was removed from his last game on Sunday when he suffered soreness in his left side.
The Sox shuffled tonight's roster around accordingly, sending J.D. Martinez out to right field and putting Eduardo Núñez at DH. They'll also be starting Brandon Phillips at third and shifting Brock Holt to left field to replace Benintendi.
The Red Sox handled New York easily in their last series, but the Yankees are getting back a key piece. Star slugger Aaron Judge will be back in the lineup for the first time since suffering a fractured hand on July 26th.
While it would be nice to clinch the division tonight, the Red Sox are in no hurry. They hold an 11.5-game lead over New York, and only need one win during the three-game series to clinch the crown. They comfortably have the best record in baseball, and all eyes are on the postseason at this point.
Boston Red Sox
As we've seen, this is a deep Red Sox team. Having two of their top performers out doesn't signal a loss by any means. Better for Betts and Benintendi to get the rest while the team can afford to sit them.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 tonight.