BOSTON – With Jarren Duran suspended for two games after making a homophobic slur at a fan, the Red Sox will send another streaker to the top of their lineup on Monday night against the Rangers.
David Hamilton is the first batter, playing shortstop against Texas right-hander Tyler Mahle, as Boston and Texas begin a three-game series at Fenway Park. It’s the first time all season he’s batted first. Duran had started all 116 games for the Red Sox before Monday and was the first batter in 110 of them. The last time he wasn’t first in the lineup was July 21, when Romy Gonzalez was the first batter.
With Duran suspended and Tyler O’Neill on the injured list because of a leg infection, the Red Sox will use a different-looking outfield against Mahle. Rob Refsnyder is in left field, Ceddanne Rafaela in center and Wilyer Abreu in right. Mahle is making his second start of the season after recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent last May.
Masataka Yoshida bats second for Boston and Rafael Devers, who missed Sunday’s game because of general soreness, is back at third. Nick Sogard starts second for the Red Sox, with Connor Wong at catcher.
Right-hander Brayan Bello is back in the team and will start after spending the last three days on the paternity list. In his last appearance on August 6 in Kansas City, the right-hander allowed three runs on five hits and struck out six batters in just 4 ⅔ innings.
The Red Sox have lost four games in a row and will try to avoid their first five-game losing streak of the season on Monday. They won two of three games against the Rangers in their last road game at Globe Life Field, but are 8-13 overall since the All-Star break.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN.
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TEXAS RANGERS (55-63) @ BOSTON RED SOX (61-55) · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 117
FIRST PITCH: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV CHANNEL: ESPN (national broadcast)
LIVE STREAM: fuboTV – If you have cable and live in the New England television market, you can use your login information to watch via NESN on mobile and WiFi-enabled devices. If you don’t have cable, you can watch the game via fuboTV in New England | Watch ESPN
RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM
LIKELY PITCHING TIPS: LHP Tyler Mahle (0-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (10-5, 5.16 ERA)
RED SOX LINEUP:
1. SS David Hamilton
2. DH Masataka Yoshida
3. LF Rob Refsnyder
4. 3B Rafael Devers
5. C Connor Wong
6. RF Wilyer Abreu
7. 1B Dom Smith
8. 2B Nick Sogard
9. CF Ceddanne Rafaela
RANGERS LINE-UP:
1. 2B Marcus Semien
2. SS Corey Seager
3. 3B Josh Smith
4. RF Adolis Garcia
5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe
6. DH Josh Young
7. LF Wyatt Langford
8. C Jonah Heim
9. CF Leody Taveras
