August 1, 2025 / 2:12 PM EDT / CBS Boston
The Red Sox have finally announced their full rotation for the team’s weekend series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park, which will include the Boston debut of newcomer Dustin May.
The 27-year-old right-hander, who was acquired from the L.A. Dodgers ahead of Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, will debut for the Red Sox in Sunday’s series finale. One name you won’t see listed among Boston’s starters is ace Garrett Crochet, who is being given a few extra days of rest with 141.1 innings pitched already under his belt this season.
Crochet was set to start Friday night’s series opener, but will instead pitch next week against the Royals in Kansas City. The Red Sox hadn’t announced his replacement until Friday, with recent Triple-A call-up Cooper Criswell set to toe the rubber at Fenway Park to start the three-game series.
Friday: Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. Cooper Criswell (1-0, 5.06 ERA)
Criswell has made six relief appearances for Boston this season, but hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 1.2 innings of scoreless relief back on July 2. He made 13 starts (and 14 appearances overall) for Worcester and went 4-2 with a 3.32 ERA at the Triple-A level.
He was 6-5 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.349 WHIP across 26 appearances (including 18 starts) for Boston last season. For his career, Criswell is 5-4 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.442 WHIP over 20 starts over his four MLB seasons.
The Astros are starting Brown, who was excellent to start the season but struggled through the month of July. The 26-year-old righty went 0-2 with a 5.54 ERA over his five July starts, when he allowed 27 hits and issued 10 walks over 26 innings. He allowed only one run over five innings his last time out, but took the loss in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the homeless Athletics.
Saturday: Colton Gordon (4-3, 4.74 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (6-6, 5.72 ERA)
Buehler went only 4.2 innings his last time out, when he issued five walks and allowed three runs in a win over the L.A. Dodgers. But he was much better in July than other months this season, when he allowed just nine earned runs over his 22.2 innings of work. It lowered his ERA from 6.45 to start the month to the 5.72 ERA he brings into Saturday’s start.
Gordon is in his first season in the big leagues, and is looking to put a tough July behind him. The lefty gave up four runs off two homers and six hits his last time out in a loss to the Athletics. Gordon had a 6.14 ERA last month, when he allowed five homers and 16 runs over 22 innings.
Saturday afternoon will be Gordon’s first career start against the Red Sox.
Sunday: Framber Valdez (11-4, 2.62 ERA) vs. Dustin May (6-7, 4.85 ERA with Dodgers)
May will make his Red Sox debut one week after he pitched at Fenway Park for the Dodgers. In that outing, he allowed four runs off five hits against his new team. May left a hanging sweeper in the middle of the plate to Alex Bregman in the bottom of the fifth, and Bregman crushed it for a go-ahead, two-run homer to lift Boston to a 4-3 win.
He’ll be opposed by Valdez, who is having another excellent season for the Astros. He’s been great against the Red Sox over his career, bringing a 3-1 record and 1.96 ERA in five games against Boston into Sunday’s finale.
Programing note: Sunday’s game is a few hours earlier than usual, with first pitch scheduled for 11:35 a.m. because it’s airing exclusively on Roku.
Matt GeaganMatthew Geagan is a sports producer for CBS Boston. He has been part of the WBZ sports team for nearly 20 years. He moved over to the web in 2012 and has covered all the highs (and a few lows) in Boston sports.
