Red Sox sitting three key players — including Jarren Duran — vs. Phillies lefty Tuesday night

Jarren Duran is sitting Tuesday, one night after hitting a leadoff homer off Zack Wheeler. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)AP

The Red Sox will face a left-handed starter two nights in a row to close out their series against the Phillies. On Tuesday, against the talented Cristopher Sánchez, Alex Cora is sitting three key regulars.

Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Marcelo Mayer are all out of Boston’s lineup in the second game of a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park. Rob Refsnyder is in left field, Roman Anthony is in right field and Romy Gonzalez is at second base with switch-hitter Abraham Toro at first. After a night off Monday, Masataka Yoshida is starting as the designated hitter (for the second time against a lefty since making his season debut).

Last season, in 108 plate appearances, Yoshida hit just .191 with a .565 OPS against left-handed pitchers. He mashed righties to the tune of a .310 average and .832 OPS. The Red Sox played him against Sánchez after sitting him Monday against Zack Wheeler.

“Masa, out of all the guys, he can hit lefties or righties,” said manager Alex Cora. “It just happened that yesterday, he didn’t play against a righty. This is where we’re at roster-wise. We have no hesitation for him to face lefties.”

Lefty-mashers Refsnyder (leadoff) and Gonzalez (fourth) are high up in the lineup as expected, though Gonzalez is in the middle of an 0-for-14 slump over his last five games. Duran is sitting after hitting a leadoff homer off Philadelphia’s ace, Wheeler, in Monday’s loss.

Sánchez, who owns a 2.50 ERA in 19 starts so far this season, has held left-handed batters to a .179 average and .464 OPS so far this season so the Red Sox will send out just two of them (Anthony and Yoshida). The Sox, who are 1-3 since the All-Star break and lost in extra innings Monday, will send rookie Richard Fitts to the mound Tuesday. It’s Fitts’ first big league start since he picked up his first big league win over the Rockies on July 7; he is taking the rotation spot of injured right-hander Hunter Dobbins.

First pitch from Philadelphia is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.

BOSTON RED SOX (54-48) @ PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (57-43) · CITIZENS BANK PARK · PHILADELPHIA, PA · GAME 103

FIRST PITCH: 6:45 p.m. ET

TV CHANNEL: NESN

RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM

PITCHING PROBABLES: RHP Richard Fitts (1-3, 4.28 ERA) vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez (8-2, 2.50 ERA)

RED SOX LINEUP:

1) LF Rob Refsnyder

2) RF Roman Anthony

3) 3B Alex Bregman

4) 2B Romy Gonzalez

5) SS Trevor Story

6) DH Masataka Yoshida

7) CF Ceddanne Rafaela

8) C Carlos Narváez

9) 1B Abraham Toro

PHILLIES LINEUP:

1) SS Trea Turner

2) DH Kyle Schwarber

3) 1B Bryce Harper

4) RF Nick Castellanos

5) C J.T. Realmuto

6) CF Brandon Marsh

7) 3B Otto Kemp

8) LF Max Kepler

9) 2B Bryson Stott