GameTimePicks
Cleveland (3-2) at Boston (4-0)
Down 1-0 in their American League Championship Series, the Indians turn to young right-hander Fausto Carmona (19-8, 3.06 ERA) to try and draw even when they take on the Red Sox and veteran Curt Schilling (9-8, 3.87) tonight at Fenway Park.
Boston scored a 10-3 win in Game 1 Friday behind the pitching of Josh Beckett and hitting of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. The two sluggers reached base all 10 times they came to the plate and Beckett delivered his second gem of the postseason.
The Red Sox have now won 12 of their last 15 playoff games and have taken six of eight from the Indians this season.
The one pitcher that might be able to derail Boston’s high-powered offense is Carmona. The youngster won all five of his September starts and held the Yankees to one run on three hits over nine innings on Oct. 5 in Game 2 of the ALDS, but he failed to get a decision as the Indians won the game 2-1 in extra innings.
The Indians haven’t lost one of Carmona’s starts since Aug. 21 and he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in an outing since Aug. 31.
Carmona outdueled Beckett on July 25, blanking the Red Sox for eight innings on four hits in a 1-0 win in Cleveland.
Schilling is 9-2 with a 1.93 ERA in 16 career playoff starts, ranking him third all-time among pitchers with at least 10 postseason starts. A week ago in Anaheim, Calif. he blanked the Angels for seven innings as the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep with a 9-1 victory.
For his career against the Indians, Schilling is 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven games. Last time he saw the Tribe was May 28 when he held them to one run on six hits in seven innings and struck out 10 in a 5-3 victory.
The under is 22-10 in Carmona’s 32 starts this season and 6-3-1 in Cleveland’s last 10 overall. Also, the under is 5-3 in Boston’s last eight, including 5-2 at home. Finally, five of the eight meetings between these teams this season stayed under the number.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and UNDER