The Tampa Bay Rays will try and avoid a sweep as they finish a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday. It is time to peek at our MLB odds series as we make a Rays-Red Sox prediction and pick.
The Red Sox defeated the Rays 5-1 on Saturday. Boston struck early when JD Martinez singled to left-center to drive in two, giving the Sox a 2-0 lead. Then, Bobby Dalbeck added more with an RBI single to center, making it 4-0. Boston added another one in the fourth when Kike Hernandez blasted a solo shot to left. It was his fifth home run in 2022, giving Boston a 5-0 lead.
Rich Hill pitched an excellent game, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing three hits and fanning 11 batters. Additionally, he stranded many runners as the Rays left seven on the basepaths. The bullpen then tossed two innings while allowing one run. Ultimately, the lead had grown large enough that the comeback threat did not manifest.
Corey Kluber will take the mound for Tampa Bay today. Kluber is 8-7 with a 4.20 ERA. Recently, he threw six solid innings while allowing one earned run on five hits. Kluber is 1-1 with a 4.94 ERA in August. Moreover, he has excelled against the Red Sox, compiling a 2-1 record with a 3.18 ERA over three starts against Boston this season. Kluber is 5-5 with a 4.16 ERA over 14 career outings against the Red Sox.
Nick Pivetta is on the hill for Boston. Pivetta is 9-9 with a 4.24 ERA. Pivetta has struggled against Boston, going 1-3 with a 4.67 ERA over five starts in his career. Recently, he tossed 5 2/3 innings while allowing two earned runs on six hits with nine strikeouts. Pivetta is 1-1 with a 3.04 ERA in August. Additionally, he recently faced the Rays, with Tampa Bay hammering him for seven earned runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings of work.
Here are the Rays-Red Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Red Sox Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: -1.5 (+146) ML (-108)
Boston Red Sox: +1.5 (-178) ML (-108)
Over: 8.5 (-118)
Under: 8.5 (-104)
Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
The Rays couldn’t drive anyone home yesterday. Likewise, Randy Arozarena and Yandy Diaz did not do much, helping spur the struggles of an inept offense.
Arozarena is batting .260 with 17 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 54 runs over 121 games. Subsequently, he is averaging .289 with five home runs, 20 RBIs, and 11 runs over 23 games in August. Arozarena is just 1 for 7 in this series.
Meanwhile, Diaz is batting .280 with eight home runs, 47 RBIs, and 60 runs this year. He is also batting .244 with three home runs, 14 RBIs, and 15 runs over 21 games. Moreover, Diaz is 4 for 9 in this series. The Rays have some key players that can make a difference. However, those players need to execute efficiently.
Despite the power these two have, the offense has struggled. The Rays left seven runners on the basepaths yesterday. Now, Tampa Bay looks to remedy the issue today. The Rays will cover the spread if Kluber can pitch well. Additionally, he needs help from an offense that has not contributed much this year.
Why The Red Sox Could Cover The Spread
The Red Sox are hanging onto the edge of the cliff. However, they have excelled against Tamp Bay in this series, managing 14 runs over two games and winning both contests. Their lineup produced almost all their runs in the first inning before settling down.
Alex Verdugo went 1 for 4, while Tommy Pham went 2 for 4. Meanwhile, JD Martinez and Rafael Devers each went 1 for 4. Xander Bogaerts did not have a hit. Ultimately, Boston scored all the runs they needed to hold off a good Tampa Bay team. The Sox must find a way to do it again. Likewise, getting to Kluber will not be simple. The offense has become one of the few bright spots on a season that has fallen off the wayside.
Surprisingly, the pitching has done well overall. They nearly blew Friday’s contest after allowing a three-run blast to cut their lead from 9-5 to 9-8. Yesterday, they allowed one run. The bullpen is a weakness and one the Rays could exploit.
The Red Sox will cover the spread if they get a good performance out of Pivetta. Moreover, they need better numbers from him against Tampa Bay. The hitters must solve Kluber and help relieve some of the pressure off Pivetta.
Final Rays-Red Sox Prediction & Pick
The Rays are struggling to beat their division rivals. Conversely, they are too good of a team to continue struggling. Kluber can still pitch a good game, while Pivetta is not looking like the answer to anything. Expect the Rays to manufacture some runs and then steal the finale, averting the sweep.
Final Rays-Red Sox Prediction & Pick: Rays ML (-108)
