ATLANTA — The Red Sox don’t exactly know yet how they’re going to fill the Triston Casas-sized hole at first base for the rest of the season. In the interim, though, veteran Abraham Toro has stepped in admirably.
Toro, who with a three-hit game Friday is now hitting .294 with an .843 OPS for Boston, is starting at first base and hitting sixth in Saturday’s game at Truist Park. It’s the fifth time in six games he’s in the lineup. Toro started off slow after being called up May 3, hitting just .192 in his first eight games. But he’s 10-for-25 (.400) with two homers, three doubles and a 1.160 OPS for the Red Sox in his last eight games.
The Red Sox will run back the same lineup Saturday after breaking a five-game losing streak with a 5-1 win in Friday’s series opener. Carlos Narváez is catching and is the cleanup hitter. Marcelo Mayer is hitting sixth. Kristian Campbell is once again in the No. 8 spot. And Walker Buehler is pitching against a familiar National League foe.
The Red Sox, who sit three games under .500 at 28-31, will face a tough task in Braves righty Spencer Schwellenbach. First pitch is at 4:10 p.m. ET.
BOSTON RED SOX (28-31) @ ATLANTA BRAVES (26-30) · TRUIST PARK · ATLANTA, GA · GAME 60
FIRST PITCH: 4:10 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: NESN
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
PITCHING PROBABLES: RHP Walker Buehler (4-2, 3.95 ERA) vs. RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (3-4, 3.42 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
1) LF Jarren Duran
2) DH Rafael Devers
3) RF Wilyer Abreu
4) C Carlos Narváez
5) 3B Marcelo Mayer
6) 1B Abraham Toro
7) SS Trevor Story
8) 2B Kristian Campbell
9) CF Ceddanne Rafaela
BRAVES LINEUP:
1) RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
2) C Drake Baldwin
3) DH Marcell Ozuna
4) 1B Matt Olson
5) 3B Austin Riley
6) 2B Ozzie Albies
7) LF Alex Verdugo
8) CF Michael Harris II
9) SS Luke Williams
