Braves will open two-game series in Boston on Tuesday

Boston Red Sox shortstop Christian Arroyo (39) watches his throw to first base after forcing out Atlanta Braves' Ehire Adrianza on a ground ball by Ender Inciarte in the fourth inning Saturday, March 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla. Inciarte was safe at first. (John Bazemore/AP)

Credit: John Bazemore

Credit: John Bazemore

Boston Red Sox shortstop Christian Arroyo (39) watches his throw to first base after forcing out Atlanta Braves' Ehire Adrianza on a ground ball by Ender Inciarte in the fourth inning Saturday, March 20, 2021, in North Port, Fla. Inciarte was safe at first. (John Bazemore/AP)

The Braves will begin a two-game series at Fenway Park on Tuesday. These Red Sox aren’t anything close to what the Braves saw in 2020.

Boston was a last-place team during the shortened campaign. The Braves swept them at Fenway Park, though they lost two of three to the Red Sox at the end of the regular season (the Braves weren’t going full throttle with the postseason awaiting).

The 2021 Red Sox have been a different story. They entered Monday 29-19, tied for the best record in the American League. Slugger J.D. Martinez looks like himself again. The pitching, so dreadful for Boston a season ago, has been a pleasant surprise. The rehiring of Alex Cora as manager has been a home run.

While the Red Sox have been pedestrian at home, where they’re only 13-12, they’ll present a nice challenge for a Braves team that’s created momentum for itself. The Braves just took three of four from a bad Pirates team but looked dominant in doing so. It was a desperately needed few days that reminds the MLB landscape of the team’s capabilities.

The two-game series makes up half of the teams’ meetings this season. The Red Sox will come to Truist Park in mid-June for a two-game series as well.

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