BOSTON — This pitchers’ duel should be a fun one.
Former Red Sox ace Chris Sale will start opposite current Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet here at Fenway Park on Friday.
The Red Sox and Braves play the first game of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m.
This will be Sale’s first time pitching at Fenway Park since Boston traded him and cash to Atlanta for Vaughn Grissom in December 2023. Sale won the National League Cy Young award last season.
He did pitch against the Red Sox in Atlanta last May 8. He earned the victory, striking out 10 in 6 scoreless innings.
The Red Sox, the first team in MLB history to face both reigning Cy Young winners in back-to-back games, will use the same exact righty-heavy order they used Wednesday in Detroit when they tagged Tarik Skubal for five runs on seven hits in 6 ⅓ innings. Rob Refsnyder is the cleanup hitter, Nick Sogard is at first base and Carlos Narváez is catching once again. The Red Sox are 4-5 in games started by opposing lefties, continuing a concerning trend from 2024.
Former Red Sox Alex Verdugo also is in town. He has gone 24-for-97 (.247) with a .298 on-base percentage, .330 slugging percentage, .628 OPS and eight extra-base hits (all doubles) in 24 games for Atlanta.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET.
ATLANTA BRAVES (22-22) @ BOSTON RED SOX (22-23) · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 46
FIRST PITCH: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: NESN, MLB Network (out of market)
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Chris Sale (1-3, 3.97 ERA) vs. LHP Garrett Crochet (4-2, 1.93 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
1) LF Jarren Duran
2) DH Rafael Devers
3) 3B Alex Bregman
4) RF Rob Refsnyder
5) 2B Kristian Campbell
6) SS Trevor Story
7) 1B Nick Sogard
8) C Carlos Narváez
9) CF Ceddanne Rafaela
BRAVES LINEUP:
1) LF Eli White
2) 3B Austin Riley
3) DH Marcell Ozuna
4) 1B Matt Olson
5) C Sean Murphy
6) 2B Ozzie Albies
7) CF Michael Harris II
8) RF Stuart Fairchild
9) SS Nick Allen
