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Rogers' Early Afternoon ANNIHILATION - Only $25! Off Tuesday Sweep!
(MLB) Tampa Bay vs. Boston,
08/31/2016 9:35 AM, Score: 6 - 8
Money Line: -171.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -171.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Red Sox and Rays will play the rubber match of a three-game series this afternoon at Tropicana Field.The Red Sox won 9-4 on Monday (Porcello won his MLB-high 18th game) but the Rays rebounded with a 4-3 win last night. The 56-75 Rays are tied with the Twins for the worst moneyline mark (minus-$2456)) among all 30 teams and are just playing out the string, while the 73-59 Red Sox are battling for a playoff spot. Boston is two games back of Toronto in the AL East and one game up on Baltimore for the No. 1 wild card spot (Detroit is just two games back of Boston in that wild card race).
The pitching matchup: Drew Smyly (6-11, 4.80 ERA) gets the call for the Rays and Steven Wright (13-6, 3.18 ERA) for the Red Sox. However, while Smyly is five games under .500 on the season and owns an ERA of just under 5.00, he comes in as the much hotter pitcher than Wright, who is having a career year for the Red Sox.Smyly is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in his last seven starts (team is 5-2), having gone at least six innings in all seven outings. In fact, Smyly has a chance to break a team record on Wednesday, as he has thrown 20 1/3 straight scoreless innings against the Red Sox (Rays' record is the 25 1/3 straight by Matt Garza against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008). Wright came off the 15-day DL (shoulder) to make a start last Friday against Kansas City and allowed five runs in the first inning before settling in with five straight scoreless ones. He wound up with a loss in that outing, his first since June 25.
The pick:Yes, Smyly takes that scoreless inning streak against Boston into this game, plus is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in nine games (seven starts / teams are 4-3) against the Red Sox lifetime, including 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA in four appearances at Fenway. As for Wright, he faces Tampa Bay for the first time in his career but is 7-2 with a 4.30 ERA at Fenway Park this season. More importantly, while Smyly pitches for the sad-sack Rays (see record above), Wright pitches for a Red Sox team which leads all MLB teams in runs scored (5.24 per), BA (.285) and OPS (.815). That makes Boston an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: Drew Smyly (6-11, 4.80 ERA) gets the call for the Rays and Steven Wright (13-6, 3.18 ERA) for the Red Sox. However, while Smyly is five games under .500 on the season and owns an ERA of just under 5.00, he comes in as the much hotter pitcher than Wright, who is having a career year for the Red Sox.Smyly is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA in his last seven starts (team is 5-2), having gone at least six innings in all seven outings. In fact, Smyly has a chance to break a team record on Wednesday, as he has thrown 20 1/3 straight scoreless innings against the Red Sox (Rays' record is the 25 1/3 straight by Matt Garza against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008). Wright came off the 15-day DL (shoulder) to make a start last Friday against Kansas City and allowed five runs in the first inning before settling in with five straight scoreless ones. He wound up with a loss in that outing, his first since June 25.
The pick:Yes, Smyly takes that scoreless inning streak against Boston into this game, plus is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in nine games (seven starts / teams are 4-3) against the Red Sox lifetime, including 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA in four appearances at Fenway. As for Wright, he faces Tampa Bay for the first time in his career but is 7-2 with a 4.30 ERA at Fenway Park this season. More importantly, while Smyly pitches for the sad-sack Rays (see record above), Wright pitches for a Red Sox team which leads all MLB teams in runs scored (5.24 per), BA (.285) and OPS (.815). That makes Boston an 8* play.
