Sandoval sits as Sale faces Verlander at Fenway

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Pablo Sandoval is out of the Red Sox starting lineup as they look to make it two in a row over the Detroit Tigers tonight (7:15) at Fenway Park in a matchup of aces - Justin Verlander vs. Chris Sale.

Sandoval, in a 1-for-14 slide and struggling defensively at third base, is replaced by the .250-hitting Josh Rutledge in the lineup. 

"We're seeing some balls, particularly the slow rollers, that's a tough play for him," manager John Farrell told WEEI.com's John Tomase after the Red Sox' 5-3 victory Friday night. "That was here again tonight. Fortunately, he was able to stay with a ball that was to his glove side that popped up that we were able to convert the play defensively, but we've got to keep working. We know the offensive side is going to be stronger on the left, and after the three hits over in Chicago, he's been in a little bit of a dry spell here, but I think you've seen we've mixed and matched and replaced defensively late."

It's the sixth career matchup between Verlander (4-4, 4.63 ERA) and Sale (7-2, 2.89, A.L.-leading 119 strikeouts) and the Tigers have won the previous five. Until this season, Sale had faced Detroit in the A.L. Central with the White Sox. In their last matchup, April 10 in Detroit in Sale's second start with the Red Sox, he took the loss despite striking out 10 and allowing two runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Tigers DH Victor Martinez has had plenty of success against Sale (21-for-49, four homers, nine RBI), while a good portion of the Red Sox lineup has struggled against Verlander: Mookie Betts, 0-f0r-12; Dustin Pedroia, 3-for-25; and Hanley Ramirez, 2-for-10.

The lineups

TIGERS
Ian Kinsler 2B
Nick Castellanos 3B
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Victor Martínez DH
J.D. Martínez RF    
Justin Upton LF    
Mikie Mahtook CF    
James McCann C    
José Iglesias SS
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Justin Verlander RHP

RED SOX
Mookie Betts RF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Xander Bogaerts SS
Mitch Moreland 1B
Andrew Benintendi LF
Hanley Ramírez DH
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Josh Rutledge 3B
Sandy León C
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Chris Sale LHP

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