Game 54: Red Sox at Phillies - No 'Brotherly Love' for the DH
Contributing Writer
On to the City of Brotherly Love for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. After splitting the first two games, the Sox and Phils finish out this interleague rivalry series at Citizens Bank Park in Philly. Boston (32-21) ran into a buzzsaw known as Cliff Lee last night and lost 3-1. Lee was brilliant and Jonathan Papelbon had a 1-2-3 ninth for the save, his first at Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox. The Red Sox will have John Lackey (3-4, 2.72 ERA) on the mound tonight. He pitched seven innings and allowed one unearned run in his last outing, an 8-1 win over the Indians.
Here is the Sox lineup, John Farrell’s first lineup without a DH, as the National League rules are in place for this series in Philadelphia (first pitch – 7:05 pm EDT):
1. Ellsbury, CF
2. Nava, RF
3. Pedroia, 2B
4. Napoli, 1B
5. Saltalamacchia, C
6. Carp, LF
7. Drew, SS
8. Iglesias, 3B
9. Lackey, P
The Phillies (25-27) will start Kyle Kendrick on the hill. Kendrick is 4-3 with a 3.29 ERA, though he has allowed nine runs in 11 innings over his last two starts.
Welcome back, JBJ
Jackie Bradley Jr. is back with the Red Sox. To make room, pitcher Alex Wilson was sent to Triple-A Pawtucket. Bradley has been on a tear for the PawSox, hitting .438 (21-for-48) with nine extra-base hits, seven RBIs and 11 runs scored. Overall he is batting .354 with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs, nine RBIs and 15 runs scored in 20 games for Pawtucket. He made his Major League debut on Opening Day, April 1, in Yankee Stadium for the Red Sox and appeared in 12 games. Farrell mentioned that Bradley Jr. will play a role off the bench in the series in Philly and this weekend in New York, noting that Yankee Stadium’s left field is larger than the average left field.
For the glove of the DH
David Ortiz sits for the first time in a while, as National League rules mean no designated hitter for either team. Big Papi will likely throw on his first baseman’s mitt for Thursday’s game and get back in the lineup. In the mean time, Mike Napoli moves up a spot in the lineup to bat clean-up and everyone follows suit with Lackey rounding out the order.
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