BOSTON — The fate of the Red Sox’ season will likely be determined by how they play on a six-game, seven-day road trip to Tampa and Toronto that begins Friday at Steinbrenner Field, the temporary home of the Rays. First, though, Boston has some business to take care of at home.
The Sox will finish their penultimate homestand of 2025 with a matinee against the Athletics on Thursday afternoon as Brayan Bello tries to bounce back from a tough start against the Yankees over the weekend in the rubber game of a three-game set. Alex Cora is once again hitting Trevor Story second and Alex Bregman third in a departure from how he has ordered them all season. Romy Gonzalez, Rob Refsnyder and Carlos Narváez are all out of Boston’s lineup with David Hamilton (second base), Nate Eaton (right field) and Connor Wong (catcher) all playing.
Bello, who has an 11-7 record and 3.25 ERA this season, allowed four hits on five runs in five innings in a loss to New York on Saturday. He has not faced the A’s yet this season.
After a 5-4, walk-off win on a Nick Sogard squibber Wednesday night, the Red Sox remain in solid postseason position. Entering Thursday, they sit in second place in the American League wild card race, winning the tiebreaker over the Mariners due to head-to-head record. Boston and Seattle are both 2 ½ games clear of the charging Guardians, who have won six in a row.
First pitch Thursday is at 1:35 p.m. ET.
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BOSTON RED SOX (83-69) @ ATHLETICS (71-81) · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 153
FIRST PITCH: 1:35 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: NESN
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: RHP J.T. Ginn (3-6, 4.69 ERA) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (11-7, 3.25 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
1) LF Jarren Duran
2) SS Trevor Story
3) 3B Alex Bregman
4) DH Masataka Yoshida
5) 1B Nathaniel Lowe
6) C Connor Wong
7) 2B David Hamilton
8) RF Nate Eaton
9) CF Ceddanne Rafaela
ATHLETICS LINEUP:
TBA