​Red Sox Make Notable Lineup Changes With Playoff Berth In Reach originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Boston Red Sox will have a chance to clinch a postseason berth Saturday afternoon, and interim manager Chad Tracy is turning to a significantly different lineup for the occasion. Boston made four personnel changes for the second game of its weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Adley Rutschman, Mickey Gasper, Jarren Duran and Brayan Bello enter the starting lineup after sitting out Friday’s 4-2 victory.Roman Anthony remains in the leadoff spot after driving Boston’s offense in the series opener. The rookie crushed a 438-foot home run on the third pitch of the game and finished with three RBIs as the Red Sox ended Tampa Bay’s six-game winning streak. Anthony will start in left field Saturday and try to provide another immediate spark against Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta.Gasper moves into the No. 2 spot as Boston’s designated hitter, while Rutschman returns behind the plate and bats third. Wilyer Abreu will provide protection from the cleanup spot.The Red Sox announced their lineup on X before Saturday’s 4:10 p.m. ET first pitch.Red Sox make four changes after series-opening winNick Sogard, Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin occupy the middle of Boston’s order. Sogard moves from second to fifth and remains at first base. Story drops one spot to sixth, while Durbin moves from sixth to seventh and starts at third base.Game 2 at the Trop! pic.twitter.com/uLiDNiLGGt— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 19, 2026Duran replaces Nate Eaton in center field and bats eighth. Isiah Kiner-Falefa moves from seventh to ninth and starts at second base. Jahmai Jones, who homered in Friday’s victory, is not in Saturday’s starting lineup. Eaton and Connor Wong also head to the bench as Gasper, Duran and Rutschman return.Here is Boston’s complete lineup:Roman Anthony, LFMickey Gasper, DHAdley Rutschman, CWilyer Abreu, RFNick Sogard, 1BTrevor Story, SSCaleb Durbin, 3BJarren Duran, CFIsiah Kiner-Falefa, 2BBrayan Bello, PMORE: Roman Anthony Powers Red Sox Past Rays, Closer To Playoff BerthBrayan Bello gets important late-season startBello will make the start with Boston trying to secure a series victory and move another step closer to the playoffs. The right-hander enters Saturday with a 6-7 record, 4.74 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 104 1/3 innings. Bello will be making another traditional start after spending much of the second half working out of the bullpen.Tampa Bay will counter with Peralta, who is 9-11 with a 4.67 ERA and 146 strikeouts over 158 innings. The right-hander has surrendered 23 home runs this season, creating an opportunity for Anthony and Boston’s other left-handed hitters. The Red Sox improved to 84-70 with Friday’s win and can clinch a wild-card spot as early as Saturday. Boston scored all four of its runs over the first three innings in the opener before sur