Fenway Park hosts a high-stakes series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox.
A pair of playoff contenders are set to do battle at Fenway Park as the Arizona Diamondbacks bring their 66-59 record to Boston.
The Boston Red Sox currently sit at 66-58 but have a comfortable five-game cushion in the Wild Card race.
Currently, the Diamondbacks are one game out. Despite just winning a series against a division leader in the Atlanta Braves, this team still has a ton to prove, and they'll get a shot at doing so against a Red Sox team that doesn't always play too well at home.
Monday, August 17
Mitch Bratt vs. Alec Gamboa
Boston has decided to go with a bullpen game for the series opener as they'll have Alec Gamboa make his first start of the season. The 29-year-old is a left-handed pitcher who has made just nine appearances in the majors.
Gamboa has a strong 1.59 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, though he's only thrown 17 innings thus far. The California native will go toe-to-toe with Mitch Bratt, someone who just picked up his first career win earlier in the month.
As for Bratt, he's 1-1 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. The 23-year-old has done his job through his first seven starts and brings his 0.5 WAR to Fenway for the first time.
Tuesday, August 18
Merrill Kelly vs. Ranger Suarez
Merrill Kelly is just 8-10 on the year, but that doesn't tell the full story. His 82 strikeouts are nearly as many as Bratt and Brandon Pfaadt have combined, and while strikeouts don't mean everything, it shows just how dialed in the 37-year-old truly is.
Ranger Suarez is still in his first year with a new team, but the Venezuelan native has done a solid job, all things considered. His 1.8 WAR is way down from the 4.7 it was a year ago, but he still has a solid 1.19 WHIP to go along with his 3.25 ERA. Interestingly, he hasn't recorded a decision since Monday, June 29.
Wednesday, August 19
Brandon Pfaadt vs. Payton Tolle
Pfaadt has been rock-solid for the D-backs as they desperately needed someone to step up this season. The 27-year-old has been their answer, and he's an astonishing 7-0 since Tuesday, June 30.
The final starter the D-backs will face is Payton Tolle, someone who has also been incredible. Tolle, 23, is a left-handed pitcher who is 4-0 in his last seven starts and is among the best starters in the Red Sox rotation with his 2.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 2.2 WAR.
