Sox Getting Healthy
The Boston Red Sox are getting healthier and increasingly appear to be headed for the postseason.
They certainly look like champions whenever they face the Texas Rangers.
The AL wild card-leading Red Sox go for their fifth straight win overall and try to improve to 9-0 against the Rangers this season when the clubs continue their three-game series Saturday night in Arlington.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Boston -140 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 11.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 33% of bets for this game have been placed on Boston -140 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
To say Boston (83-57) has dominated its season series with Texas (69-73) would be an understatement. The Red Sox have embarrassed the Rangers’ pitching staff, totaling 75 runs – nearly 10 per game – in winning all eight meetings between the clubs in 2008. Boston has outscored Texas 18-1 in their last two matchups, including an 8-1 win in Friday’s series opener.
The Red Sox activated third baseman Mike Lowell and starter Josh Beckett from the disabled list prior to the game, and both players made triumphant returns. Lowell went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and four RBIs to back Beckett, who earned the win by pitching five scoreless innings.
"It definitely gives me a boost,” said Lowell, who hadn’t played since Aug. 12 due to a strained right oblique muscle. "I think you’re curious. I didn’t really think I would be totally lost, but there’s a certain amount of uncertainty just because you haven’t seen live pitching in three weeks.”
Boston has been a ubiquitous presence in recent Octobers, appearing in four of the last five postseasons and winning two of the last four World Series. After winning four straight games and nine of 11, another playoff run looks highly likely. The Red Sox lead Minnesota by 5 1/2 games for the wild card, and have pulled within 2 1/2 games of Tampa Bay for the top spot in the AL East.
Tim Wakefield (8-9, 3.76 ERA) suffered Boston’s most recent loss, but he’ll now try to keep the winning streak going. The 42-year-old knuckleballer lost to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, when he yielded three runs in six innings of Boston’s 4-2 defeat.
Wakefield is 10-14 with a 5.66 ERA in his career against the Rangers, but has won all three of his starts against them since the start of last season. Those include a 6-5 victory April 20 at Fenway Park in which he allowed five runs over eight innings.
Wakefield is scheduled to make his 500th career appearance for Boston, and Bob Stanley (1977-89) is the only Boston pitcher with more appearances (637).
He’ll be opposed by Texas rookie Matt Harrison (6-3, 5.73), who will face the Red Sox for the first time. The 23-year-old left-hander did not receive a decision in Monday’s 12-6 loss to Seattle after yielding five runs and a career high-tying 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Friday’s defeat was the sixth in nine games for the Rangers, who are 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position over the last two games.
While Boston got three injured players back – including first baseman Sean Casey, who did not play Friday – Texas learned second baseman Ian Kinsler will miss the rest of the season due to surgery to repair a sports hernia. Kinsler had been enjoying a breakthrough third season in the majors, making his first All-Star team while batting .319 with 18 homers, 71 RBIs, 41 doubles and 26 steals.
"You want to talk about an MVP. He was certainly our MVP,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He got things started. He had an excellent year. I just wish he could have finished it. No telling what his numbers would have looked like.”
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Baseball news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe