The Boston Red Sox are currently sitting at the bottom of the American League East standings are building their roster for next season instead of attempting a late comeback this year. They made several moves at the mid-season trade deadline, the biggest coming as Yoenis Cespedes. The big back has made an early impression, hitting back-to-back game-winnings home runs and now he is looking to get the two-game sweep on the Cincinnati Reds.
Cespedes is helping lead the Red Sox at the moment. The left fielder has reached base in all nine games he has played in since being traded in the deal that sent pitcher Jon Lester to the Oakland Athletics. He is currently batting .263 with seven RBIs in the nine game stretch. He helped seal the win over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday with a three-run homer. He followed that up with a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. It was the first back-to-back win since mid-July for the Red Sox.
Boston will be getting another glimpse of their future as Anthony Ranaudo starts in place of Brandon Workman who currently holds a 6.35 ERA and 0-6 record. Ranaudo looked strong in his first start for the Red Sox, getting the 4-3 win over the New York Yankees. He allowed just two runs and four hits over six innings. While with Triple-A Pawtucket, he went 13-4 with a 2.58 ERA in 22 starts for the team.
The Reds will counter with Mike Leake who is 9-10 with a 3.42 ERA on the year. He gets the nod after Homer Bailey's start was delayed thanks to an elbow injury. Leake is pitching well, winnings his last two of three starts with a 1.31 ERA while opponents hit .176 against him. However, he has not been getting the help that he needs to record the wins. The bats are not moving and the bullpen continues to let the pitcher down.
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