Pirates at Red Sox
Chris Sale makes his debut for the Boston Red Sox when he toes the rubber in the second of a three-game series with the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. Acquired in December from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for for a massive haul of prospects, Sale has been an All-Star in five straight seasons while finishing in the top six in Cy Young Award voting each time.
Sale joins a Boston rotation led by the reigning Cy Young winner in Rick Porcello, who was solid through 6 1/3 innings to help the Red Sox win 5-3 in Monday's opener - their first game since longtime designated hitter David Ortiz retired. Rookie Andrew Benintendi helped Boston to quickly turn the page to a new era with a three-run homer and a leaping catch in left field to stifle a rally by the Pirates in the seventh. "That was awesome," Benintendi told reporters. "We're all excited to start playing games that actually matter. It was a fun experience." Pittsburgh will hope for a rebound performance from its star outfielders - Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte - who combined to go 0-for-8 on Monday, with McCutchen striking out three times.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (2016: 5-4, 3.38 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (2016: 17-10, 3.34)
Taillon allowed three earned runs or fewer in 13 of his final 14 starts last year after being promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis in June. He let up three runs and fanned 14 batters in 14 innings spread over two interleague starts. The No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft missed all of 2014 and 2015 following Tommy John and hernia surgeries.
Sale matched a career high in wins while posting personal bests in starts (32), innings (226 2/3) and complete games (six) for Chicago last year. He is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in six career games (three starts) at Fenway Park and boasts a sparkling 1.00 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) against National League Central teams, although he has never faced the Pirates. The 28-year-old allowed six earned runs and struck out 26 in 21 innings during Grapefruit League action.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts had two hits and two stolen bases in the opener.
2. McCutchen has 175 career home runs, one shy of matching Barry Bonds for fourth on the franchise's all-time list.
3. The series finale is slated for 1:35 p.m. ET on Thursday.