BOSTON — First baseman Abraham Toro will bat cleanup for Boston on Friday despite struggling in July.
The Red Sox and Astros will play the first game of a three-game series at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.
The game will air on Apple TV+.
Toro batted .221 with a .295 on-base percentage, .279 slugging percentage, .574 OPS and just four extra-base hits (all doubles) in 21 games (78 plate appearances) during July. He has just 10 hits in his last 55 at-bats (.182).
It’s the third time Toro has hit cleanup this season, with the last time coming June 20 in San Francisco. Right fielder Wilyer Abreu will hit eighth against Astros All-Star righty Hunter Brown.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow failed to address the first base position at the deadline despite him saying the Red Sox spent “pretty significant time trying to add a bat.”
Alex Bregman, a longtime Astro, will hit second and play third base while facing his former team for the first time.
Brown (9-5, 2.54 ERA) will start for Houston opposite Red Sox right-hander Cooper Criswell (1-0, 5.06 ERA).
The 29-year-old Criswell is making a spot start, his first in the majors this season. He’s spent most of the season at Triple-A Worcester where he has a 3.32 ERA in 14 outings (13 starts).
HOUSTON ASTROS (62-47) @ BOSTON RED SOX (59-51) @ · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 111
FIRST PITCH: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: Apple TV+
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: RHP Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. RHP Cooper Criswell (1-0, 5.06 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
- Roman Anthony LF
- Alex Bregman 3B
- Jarren Duran CF
- Abraham Toro 1B
- Trevor Story SS
- Masataka Yoshida DH
- Carlos Narváez C
- Wilyer Abreu RF
- Ceddanne Rafaela 2B
