The Boston Red Sox welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Fenway Park on Wednesday, August 19, for a 4:10 PM ET first pitch. Boston right-hander Payton Tolle gets the nod against Arizona's Brandon Pfaadt in what shapes up as a pitching matchup worth watching. With the regular season in its late stages, every game at Fenway carries added weight, and the Sox will look to use the home crowd to their advantage against a Diamondbacks club that has made the trip across the country.
Probable Pitching Matchup: Tolle vs. Pfaadt
Payton Tolle draws the start for Boston. The young right-hander will need to establish himself early against a Diamondbacks lineup that has shown the ability to put up runs. Fenway Park's dimensions are unforgiving for pitchers who leave the ball over the plate, so Tolle's command will be the first thing to watch from pitch one.
On the other side, Brandon Pfaadt takes the ball for Arizona. Pfaadt has been a fixture in the Diamondbacks rotation and brings legitimate stuff to the mound. He made noise during Arizona's deep postseason run in recent memory, and he knows how to navigate a lineup. Boston's hitters will need to be patient and make him work deep into counts.
Keys to Watch for the Red Sox
- Tolle's command in the strike zone: Fenway rewards pitchers who can work both sides of the plate and punishes those who miss over the heart of it. Tolle's ability to keep the ball down and attack hitters will set the tone for Boston's defense behind him.
- Getting to Pfaadt early: The Red Sox offense needs to put pressure on Pfaadt before he settles into a rhythm. Making him throw pitches and getting into the bullpen is a winning formula against a rotation-caliber arm.
- Home crowd energy: There is nothing quite like Fenway Park on a Wednesday afternoon turning into evening. The atmosphere can be a genuine factor, and the Sox have historically played well when the home crowd is engaged from the first inning.
- Bullpen management: With Tolle still establishing himself at this level, the Boston bullpen could see significant action. How the Red Sox manage their relief arms will matter, especially in close game situations.
Prediction
This is a game that comes down to which starter controls the strike zone longer. Pfaadt is experienced enough to keep Boston off-balance for several innings, but Fenway has a way of swinging momentum quickly. If Tolle can give the Sox five solid innings and keep Arizona's lineup from stringing together big innings, Boston's offense should find enough against Pfaadt to take this one. Expect a competitive game decided in the middle innings. Red Sox win, 4-2.
Coverage starts at 4:10 PM ET on NESN. Radio listeners can catch the call on WEEI 93.7 FM. Spanish-language coverage is available on WCCM 1490 AM and WESX 1230 AM.
