PREMIUM
Rogers' EARLY Coach's Clinic
(MLB) Pittsburgh vs. Boston,
Money Line: -156.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -156.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Red Sox won the AL East last season (93 wins) but went meekly in the ALDS, losing three straight to the Indians. They now open the 2017 season at home vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates, without David Ortiz on the roster for the first time since 2002. Running the clubhouse now will be veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Boston has a handful of emerging outfield stars plus a solid but banged-up rotation that features newcomer Chris Sale. The Pirates saws their three-year wild card steak end last season, going just 78-83. They will need one-time MVP Andrew McCutchen to return to form as he makes the move from center to right field following a down year.
The pitching matchup: Gerrit Cole (2016: 7-10, 3.88 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates, up against Boston's Rick Porcello, who won 2016's CY Young award in the AL by going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA. Porcello led the league in wins and had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.91) among AL hurlers. Boston was 25-8 in all of his regular season starts, earning a profit of $1470 (3rd-best in MLB). He was dominant at Fenway Park, going 13-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 16 home starts (team was 15-1). He posted an ERA below 3.00 in July, August and September while becoming the 22nd pitcher in team history to record 22 wins. He's faced the Pirates three times, going 2-0 with an 0.39 ERA (teams are 2-1). Current Pirates are hitting a combined .130 against him. Cole followed up a 19-win season in 2015 with an injury-plagued 2016 that saw his ERA soar by more than a run as he was limited to 21 starts. He was only 2-6 with a 5.48 ERA in nine starts after the All-Star break and pitched just 10 innings during Grapefruit League action. He's had just one start vs. Boston (2014), limiting the Red Sox to two runs in seven innings (1-0, 2.57 ERA).
The pick: This is the Pirates' first trip to Fenway since June 2005. Before that, Pittsburgh had not played in Boston since the inaugural World Series in 1903 (wow!). Stepping in front of Porcello here at Fenway makes little sense, off last year's performance. Make Boston an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: Gerrit Cole (2016: 7-10, 3.88 ERA) will be on the mound for the Pirates, up against Boston's Rick Porcello, who won 2016's CY Young award in the AL by going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA. Porcello led the league in wins and had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.91) among AL hurlers. Boston was 25-8 in all of his regular season starts, earning a profit of $1470 (3rd-best in MLB). He was dominant at Fenway Park, going 13-1 with a 2.97 ERA in 16 home starts (team was 15-1). He posted an ERA below 3.00 in July, August and September while becoming the 22nd pitcher in team history to record 22 wins. He's faced the Pirates three times, going 2-0 with an 0.39 ERA (teams are 2-1). Current Pirates are hitting a combined .130 against him. Cole followed up a 19-win season in 2015 with an injury-plagued 2016 that saw his ERA soar by more than a run as he was limited to 21 starts. He was only 2-6 with a 5.48 ERA in nine starts after the All-Star break and pitched just 10 innings during Grapefruit League action. He's had just one start vs. Boston (2014), limiting the Red Sox to two runs in seven innings (1-0, 2.57 ERA).
The pick: This is the Pirates' first trip to Fenway since June 2005. Before that, Pittsburgh had not played in Boston since the inaugural World Series in 1903 (wow!). Stepping in front of Porcello here at Fenway makes little sense, off last year's performance. Make Boston an 8* play.
