The San Francisco Giants aim to even the weekend series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
After dropping the first game on Friday in a close 6-4 game, the San Francisco Giants are facing the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
This will be the second game in first baseman Rafael Devers' reunion with his former team since the June 2025 trade that sent him to the Bay Area.
Devers now being recognized as the Giants' first baseman sounds strange, given the primary reason the 2018 World Series champion wanted to leave Boston.
The Red Sox wanted the slugger to move to the position last season after years as the team's designated hitter.
In the first game between the two teams, Devers hit a 412-foot homer in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to one run, but after Wilyer Abreu's RBI triple in the sixth, Boston gained a two-run cushion and eventually closed out the game.
Starting pitchers for Giants, Red Sox
Blade Tidwell will be on the mound for the Giants on Saturday as he seeks his first win of the season after three no-decisions this month, including his last appearance against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 16, when he entered as a reliever and threw 63 pitches over 4.1 innings.
For Boston, Patrick Sandoval will make his fourth start of the season after losing his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his most recent appearance last Sunday, when he had the worst start of his career to date, allowing nine hits and seven runs.
Tidwell has a 4.33 ERA and 20 strikeouts this season, while Sandoval's ERA sits at 4.76 with 35 strikeouts.
What's at stake for both teams?
Well, the Giants have not had much at stake since the beginning of the season, but getting a win against a team making a postseason push should be frowned upon.
As the Giants prepare for the future, picking up wins over teams that will likely make the playoffs is a good momentum builder heading into the offseason.
On the other hand, the Red Sox have been the hottest team in the league this summer and are well positioned to clinch one of the three American League wild-card spots.
However, every game is still important for Boston, as they still have to hold on to the second wild card spot and also have the chance to catch the New York Yankees for the first AL wild card spot after being one of the worst teams in the league in May.
