Red Sox Retain .103 No. 2 Hitter for Second Night Against Cardinals

Mo. Basuony

Published: April 11, 2026 10:10 PM ET

Red Sox Retain .103 No. 2 Hitter for Second Night Against Cardinals

ST. LOUIS — The Red Sox retain a .103-hitting player in the No. 2 spot for a second consecutive night against St. Louis. Manager Alex Cora again tabbed third baseman Caleb Durbin to hit second. The move comes despite Durbin’s early-season struggles at the plate.

Lineup decisions

Roman Anthony returns to the lineup as the designated hitter. He leads off after sitting out Friday’s 3-2 loss. Jarren Duran starts in left field and bats third while Masataka Yoshida is left out of the outfield/DH mix against right-hander Kyle Leahy.

Trevor Story began the season batting second for nine games. Cora moved him down the order on Monday. Since then, Boston has rotated several players into the No. 2 slot.

Caleb Durbin’s recent numbers

Durbin is 4-for-39 (.103) with eight strikeouts this season. He opened 0-for-18 and has been hitless in his last three games. Over his last six games, he has three hits, two walks, one hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts in 20 plate appearances.

Cora praised Durbin’s plate discipline and approach. The manager noted the infrequency of swings out of the zone. That work is the reason Cora kept him in the No. 2 spot.

Pitching matchup and broadcast info

Left-hander Ranger Suárez will start for Boston. He is 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA across two starts. The Red Sox will hope for a bounce-back outing from him.

St. Louis counters with righty Kyle Leahy, listed at 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET at Busch Stadium. The game will air nationally on FOX and stream on local radio WEEI 93.7 FM.