Indians vs. Red Sox Pick
Will the Boston Red Sox make it three straight over the Cleveland Indians when the two AL foes meet up again tonight at 7PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Boston is favored at home, as the Red Sox are getting odds of -120 to win, while the Indians are listed with a money line of +100 to prevail. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 9.5 runs.
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The pitching matchup for tonight’s game has Trevor Bauer (9-8, 5.25 ERA) on the mound to face Rick Porcello (4-14, 4.55) of the Red Sox. Bauer is coming off an 8-inning outing against the Angels where he allowed just one run. Bauer has 117 strikeouts this season with 42 walks and a 1.46 WHIP. Porcello has struggled most of the season, but has been showing signs of life in recent starts. Over his last four starts, he has allowed nine earned runs over 29 innings. Porcello has 126 strikeouts on the season with 26 walks and a 1.38 WHIP.
Boston has won the first two games in this series, picking up a 6-2 win on Monday and a 12-10 win on Tuesday. The Red Sox are now 59-49 overall and 32-20 at home while the Indians are 57-48 overall and 29-24 on the road.
Tuesday’s game saw a surprising amount of runs given the fact that Chris Sale and Carlos Carrasco took the mound. Carrasco lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing five runs. Sale only made it five innings, allowing seven runs. Cleveland actually held a 10-9 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, but Christian Vazquez had a three-run home run to win the game in dramatic fashion. Eduardo Nunez had three hits and four RBI to lead the Sox while Mitch Moreland added two hits and three RBI. Cleveland was led by Carlos Santana, who had two hits and three RBI. Edwin Encarnacion added his 22nd home run of the season as well.
Two top-level pitchers met on Tuesday and it turned out to be a high-scoring game. Today, two struggling pitchers meet, so it will probably be a pitcher’s duel. Porcello has been getting a little better and I think he can continue to improve tonight against the Indians. It will be important for him to continue to get deep into the game with so many relievers used on Tuesday. Bauer is coming off a good start, but he has struggled most of the year and hasn’t gotten deep into games often. I give the edge to the Sox again at home.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: BOSTON RED SOX -120