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Red Sox vs. A’s: Lineups, TV & Must-Know Preview for Aug 7
Red Sox vs. Athletics: Friday Night Game Preview at Fenway Park
What’s Happening Tonight?
The Boston Red Sox are back home at Fenway Park for a three-game weekend series against the Athletics. This is the first game of that series, and it comes right after a wild, extra-long game on Thursday that went 13 innings and took over 4 hours to finish.
Quick Context: The Red Sox won that Thursday marathon on a walk-off hit by Caleb Durbin. But they used nine pitchers to get the job done, so the bullpen (the relief pitchers) is tired. Tonight, they really need their starting pitcher to go deep into the game.
The Starting Pitchers: A Rematch from July
This game features a pitching rematch from July 27, when these same two starters faced each other in Sacramento. The Red Sox won that game.
Boston Red Sox: Payton Tolle (Left-Handed Pitcher)
- Record: 6 wins, 6 losses
- ERA (Earned Run Average): 3.30 — This is good! Lower is better. It means he gives up about 3.3 runs per 9 innings on average.
- Recent Form: The Red Sox have won each of his last 5 starts.
- Strikeout Streak: He’s struck out at least 6 batters in each of those 5 games.
- Last Time Out: 6 innings, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts in a 3-2 win over the Dodgers.
Athletics: Jack Perkins (Right-Handed Pitcher)
- Record: 2 wins, 7 losses
- ERA: 6.72 — This is high. It means he’s been giving up a lot of runs.
- Last Matchup vs. Red Sox: He started the July 27 game in Sacramento (Red Sox won).
ELI5: What is ERA?
ERA stands for Earned Run Average. It tells you how many runs a pitcher typically allows over 9 innings. Think of it like a "runs allowed per game" score. Under 3.00 is excellent. Over 5.00 is struggling. Tolle’s 3.30 is solid. Perkins’ 6.72 is rough.
Today’s Lineups (Who’s Playing Where)
RED SOX (63-51) — Home Team, Bats Second
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| 1B | Sogard |
| CF | Rafaela |
| RF | Abreu |
| 3B | Durbin |
| DH | Yoshida |
| SS | Monasterio |
| LF | Duran |
| 2B | Seigler |
| C | Rogers |
Starting Pitcher: LHP Payton Tolle
ATHLETICS (45-70) — Visitors, Bats First
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| CF | Bolte |
| SS | Wilson |
| C | Heim |
| LF | Soderstrom |
| 1B | White |
| DH | Serven |
| RF | Butler |
| 3B | Muncy |
| 2B | Ornelas |
Starting Pitcher: RHP Jack Perkins
Note: The Athletics have the worst record in the American League (45-70) and are on an 8-game losing streak — which started when they lost two straight to the Red Sox in Sacramento last week.
How These Teams Match Up: Batter vs. Pitcher History
Here’s how current hitters have done in their careers against tonight’s starting pitcher. Small sample sizes = don’t overthink it, but fun to know!
Athletics Hitters vs. Payton Tolle
| Batter | At-Bats | Hits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Bolte | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Lawrence Butler | 4 | 1 | 1-for-4 |
| Jonah Heim | 3 | 1 | 1-for-3 |
| Tyler Soderstrom | 4 | 1 | 1-for-4 |
| Tommy White | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Jacob Wilson | 5 | 0 | 0-for-5 (struggling vs. Tolle) |
Red Sox Hitters vs. Jack Perkins
| Batter | At-Bats | Hits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilyer Abreu | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Jarren Duran | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Caleb Durbin | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Ceddanne Rafaela | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Masataka Yoshida | 2 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Jake Rogers | 1 | 1 | 1-for-1 |
| Connor Wong | 2 | 1 | 1-for-2 |
Important: Most of these guys have very few at-bats against these pitchers. Baseball stats like this need dozens of at-bats to mean much. Treat it as trivia, not prophecy.
Key Storylines to Watch
-
Can Tolle Give the Bullpen a Break?
After using 9 pitchers Thursday, the Red Sox desperately need Tolle to pitch 6+ innings. -
Athletics’ Losing Streak
They’ve lost 8 straight. Can they snap it against a hot Red Sox team? -
Red Sox Rolling
Boston has won 5 straight games started by Tolle and just made history (see Stat of the Day below). -
Walk-Off Magic
Thursday’s win came on a Caleb Durbin single in the 13th inning — the Red Sox never led until that moment. - Deep Bullpen Trust
Interim manager Chad Tracy said: "We’re so deep right now. We trust everyone." Reliever Brayan Bello even got the win after pitching 2 innings just 2 days after a 3-inning outing.
Stat of the Day: History Made!
The Red Sox became the FIRST TEAM EVER to sweep six different teams that were in FIRST PLACE in their division at the time of the series — since divisions began in 1969.
That’s 55 years of baseball history. Pretty wild.
Game Details at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| First Pitch | 7:10 p.m. ET |
| Location | Fenway Park, Boston |
| TV | NESN (New England Sports Network) |
| Radio | WEEI-FM 93.7 |
| Series | Game 1 of 3 (Red Sox head to Toronto after this series) |
Summary
Tonight’s game at Fenway features a pitching rematch from July: Payton Tolle (Red Sox) vs. Jack Perkins (Athletics). Tolle has been sharp lately — 5 straight team wins, 6+ strikeouts each time — while Perkins has struggled with a 6.72 ERA. The Red Sox are coming off an exhausting 13-inning win and need Tolle to go deep to rest their bullpen. The Athletics are in a freefall (8 straight losses) and near the bottom of the league. First pitch is 7:10 p.m. on NESN.
FAQ
Q: Why is this game important if it’s just one of 162?
A: Every game counts in the standings, but this one matters extra because the Red Sox bullpen is exhausted after Thursday’s marathon. A long start from Tolle keeps relievers fresh for the weekend.
Q: What does "walk-off" mean?
A: A walk-off happens when the home team takes the lead in the bottom of the final inning (or extra innings), ending the game instantly. The other team "walks off" the field. Durbin’s single in the 13th was a walk-off.
Q: Why do the Athletics have such a bad record?
A: They’re in a rebuilding phase — trading away veteran players for younger prospects. They also play in a tough division and are preparing for a future move (likely to Las Vegas).
Q: What’s a "DH"?
A: Designated Hitter — a player who bats instead of the pitcher but doesn’t play defense. Used in the American League (where the Red Sox and Athletics play). Masataka Yoshida is tonight’s DH for Boston.
Q: Can I watch this game if I don’t have NESN?
A: If you’re in New England, NESN is on most cable/streaming packages (YouTube TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream). Out of market? You’d need MLB.tv (but it’s blacked out locally). Radio on WEEI 93.7 FM is free to stream via the Audacy app.
