Tampa Bay Rays (27-18) manager Joe Maddon has once again slotted his first baseman at the top of the batting order. The Rays Twitter account reports 1B Carlos Pena will be hitting leadoff as the Rays visit the Boston Red Sox (22-22). Pena had been in a mini-slump before Maddon began hitting the slugger first. Friday will mark the third-straight game Pena has sat atop the order.
The Rays will need Pena and the rest of the lineup to produce against the Red Sox, who have won 10 of their last 13 games. Boston's lineup boasts some of the best offensive numbers in the league, sitting at second in the AL with 236 runs scored. Though they have a higher batting average and slugging percentage than the Rays, the Boston lineup actually compares favorably to the Rays' -- who play in one of the league's more stingier pitcher's parks.
Here is a look at today's lineups:
Rays Lineup (courtesy of @RaysBaseball)
- 1B Carlos Pena
- CF B.J. Upton
- DH Luke Scott
- RF Ben Zobrist
- LF Matt Joyce
- 2B Sean Rodriguez
- 3B Drew Sutton
- C Chris Gimenez
- SS Elliot Johnson
- SP Alex Cobb
Red Sox Lineup (courtesy of @MaureenaMullen)
- SS Mike Aviles
- 2B Dustin Pedroia
- DH David Ortiz
- 1B Adrian Gonzalez
- 3B Kevin Youkilis
- C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
- LF Daniel Nava
- CF Marlon Byrd
- RF Scott Podsednik
- SP Jon Lester
Read more about the Rays at DRaysBay and for more on the Red Sox, check out Over The Monster. Go to Baseball Nation for additional news and notes around the league.