​NEW YORK — The Red Sox are set to yank Jarren Duran from his usual outfield post, but they won’t pull him from the lineup as they wrap up the unofficial first half of their season at Citi Field on Sunday. With left-hander Zach Thornton toeing the slab for the Mets, Boston will slot Nate Eaton into left field and have Duran serve as the designated hitter for the seventh time this season. Andruw Monasterio, who came up big on Saturday, will stay at shortstop, while Romy Gonzalez returns to the lineup at first base. Connor Wong will catch for the Red Sox.
Interim manager Chad Tracy decided to deploy Duran at DH over Masataka Yoshida, who homered in Saturday’s 4-0 victory. Duran has hit just .217 with a .606 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, a mark that actually edges his .186 batting average against right-handers. Through July, Duran has been hitting .167 with a double and a homer across eight games.
On the mound, lefty Payton Tolle will make his 15th start of the year, though Tracy signaled the plan for a shorter outing from him with right-hander Brayan Bello, who was recalled earlier in the day, serving as a potential piggyback option. The Red Sox appear to be aiming for a little extra rest for Tolle as the All-Star break looms.
Boston has surged to a season-high eight consecutive wins to begin this nine-game road trip, a streak that has helped them climb to 16 wins in their last 21 games. They sit just a half-game out of a wild-card spot in the American League as Sunday’s matinee nears. After the game, they’ll enjoy four days off for the All-Star break before resuming play with a doubleheader against the Rays on Friday at Fenway. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ET.
BOSTON RED SOX (45-48) vs. NEW YORK METS (40-56) — Citi Field, Flushing, NY — Game 94. First pitch: 1:40 p.m. ET. TV: NESN. Radio: WEEI 93.7 FM.
The Red Sox lineup will feature Romy Gonzalez at first base, Andruw Monasterio at shortstop, Jarren Duran serving as the designated hitter, Nate Eaton in left, and Connor Wong catching. For the Mets, the lineup includes A.J. Ewing in center field, Carson Benge in right, with the rest of the order filling out as announced. The probable pitching matchups pit Payton Tolle against Zach Thornton, with the expectation that Tolle may be limited in his outing as the club leans on a piggyback strategy.
Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source for better SEO. This summary captures the Sunday game ahead of the All-Star break and reflects the current roster moves and strategic considerations surrounding Duran’s role and the pitching plan.