Red Sox Host Rangers in Rain-Delayed Series Opener

After enjoying a day of rest, the Red Sox are ready to resume their home series against the Rangers, though they’ll have to keep an eye on the weather. Tuesday brings a rainy forecast for the Greater Boston area, predicting about an inch of rain during the day and another inch throughout the night. Consequently, the game is set to start later than usual, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Currently, both teams hover around the .500 mark, and they’ve encountered difficulties as they approach this matchup.

The Red Sox have recently hit a rough patch, dropping their last two games and four out of the past five. Their bullpen is largely to blame, tying with the Phillies for the league’s highest number of blown leads at eight, including their two latest setbacks. Meanwhile, the Rangers have struggled offensively, losing nine of their previous 12 games, although they did manage an 8-1 victory over the Mariners on Sunday. Prior to that win, they seldom scored more than two runs in eight of their preceding nine games and maintain the lowest run total in the American League at 113. This prompted them to change their staff, firing offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker and bringing in Brett Boone as the hitting coach.

On the mound for the Red Sox is Lucas Giolito, making his second start. Pitching for the Rangers will be Nate Eovaldi, who previously pitched for the Red Sox from 2018 to 2022. The lineups are as follows: RANGERS (17-18): Smith 1B, Langford LF, Seager SS, Pederson DH, Semien 2B, Garcia RF, Carter CF, Heim C, Jung 3B. Pitcher: RHP Nate Eovaldi (2-2, 2.11 ERA). RED SOX (18-18): Duran LF, Devers DH, Bregman 3B, Campbell 2B, Abreu RF, Story SS, Toro 1B, Narváez C, Rafaela CF. Pitcher: RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 4.50 ERA).

Stat of the day: The Red Sox have a challenging record in close games, standing at 4-9 in one-run matches this season, which is the highest number of such losses in the majors.