The Athletics, meanwhile, are stuck in the middle of a lost season in Sacramento, playing in front of announced crowds that dip into the 8,000s even in prime series. Jump's taken the loss in 6 straight starts, and it's not always been on him — the results have ranged from shutout-level outings to blowups — but a lineup that can't cash in behind him has turned a promising rookie year sour.
Boston's not walking into this series completely clean. Curtis Mead is banged up with a bruised wrist from Monday's game, and the left side of the infield is already thin with Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer both out. Roman Anthony's finger injury has kept him in Florida rehabbing since before the All-Star break, and the rotation behind Bennett is missing three starters in Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo.
Oakland's not exactly deep either. Shea Langeliers is out for a knee surgery, Brent Rooker's season is over, and the bullpen just lost Mark Leiter Jr. to hip surgery too. That's a taxed roster trying to hang with a Red Sox club playing its best baseball since April, and it shows in the way this series has gone so far.
None of that changes the shape of Tuesday's game much. Bennett's been shutting people down for two months, Jump's been getting shelled or unsupported for six straight starts, and Boston's lineup has more pieces intact than the group trying to slow it down. This is Boston's series to keep rolling, not the Athletics' spot to turn things around.