Red Sox Face Guardians in Doubleheader with Key Lineup Changes

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Boston Red Sox will face the Cleveland Guardians in a doubleheader at Progressive Field on Saturday. Game 1 is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m., followed by Game 2 at 7:10 p.m.

Manager Alex Cora has made some adjustments to the lineup for the first game. Blake Sabol will replace Carlos Narváez as catcher and hit eighth. Ceddanne Rafaela, initially slated to bat ninth, will now bat seventh.

Right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA) is set to start for the Red Sox, matching up against Cleveland’s Ben Lively (1-2, 3.86 ERA). Despite Cleveland’s hitters facing Houck and managing a combined 7-for-36 record against him, the Red Sox hitters hold a meager 3-for-26 record against Lively.

The match will also mark a milestone for Cora, as he will manage his 1,000th game with Boston. “It’s an exciting moment for me and my family,” Cora said before the game.

As for player performance, designated hitter Rafael Devers has struggled lately, recording a .194 batting average with a league-leading 36 strikeouts this season. Third baseman Alex Bregman commented on the team’s recent performance, noting improved execution leading to better results. “In this league, it comes down to execution,” he said.

Both teams are looking to secure wins, with the Red Sox outperforming expectations after a rough start. Boston has won six of their last seven games, pushing them close to the top of the American League East.

Cleveland comes into the doubleheader with a 14-10 record and has not lost a series at home this season. They had a five-game winning streak before a loss to the New York Yankees.

Fans can catch the first game on NESN and tune in to WEEI 93.7 FM for radio coverage.