BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox will look to get the upper hand in a four-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers this afternoon. Ceddanne Rafaela homered twice in his first career multi-homer game while leading the Red Sox to a 7-3 win Friday night that evened the series at 1-1. Boston recorded 12 hits and snapped a two-game skid.
Rafaela, a 23-year-old rookie who had gone back-to-back games without a hit after a four-game hitting streak, drove in five runs.
“We just (have) to make sure (Rafaela) understands that it takes time to adjust,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not about instant results.”
Amid the rookie ups and downs, which included a 2-for-12 slump entering Friday, Rafaela has led all major league rookies and the Red Sox with 33 RBIs this season.
“It’s difficult for me to get frustrated. I don’t get frustrated that (easily),” he said.
On Friday, David Hamilton went 3-for-4 while Dominic Smith and Connor Wong each finished 2-for-3 for Boston.
Red Sox right-hander Cooper Criswell (2-2, 3.96 ERA) will start on Saturday. In his last start, he allowed seven runs in four innings in Boston’s 11-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
Criswell will make his first career start against Detroit.
The Red Sox had won five of Criswell’s first six starts but now have lost two of the past three.
On Friday, Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the first but recorded just five hits after that inning. Riley Greene went 2-for-4 with a double, while Colt Keith hit a two-run home run in the eighth.
Designated hitter Mark Canha was scratched from Friday’s lineup with hip soreness.
Spencer Torkelson, who was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts on Thursday, has slumped of late. He is hitless in eight of his past nine games.
“I appreciate his consistency in caring about the team win first and his performance second, even though I know it’s eating him up to not be a more central part of our offense,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
Tigers right-hander Reese Olson (1-5, 1.92 ERA) will start on Saturday. He has received some tough luck this season but finally earned his first win of the year last Saturday over the Toronto Blue Jays. He gave up just one unearned run on three hits in 6 1/3 innings in Detroit’s 2-1 victory.
“I just try to do my job every time I go out there,” Olson said.
Entering his first career start against Boston, Olson has allowed 12 earned runs in 10 starts this season, six of which he allowed April 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“He’s going to make you beat him,” Hinch said. “He’s not going to concede with any pitch.”
–Field Level Media