Steven Wright (2-2, 3.90 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox (24-30) meet Kyle Gibson (4-3, 2.61 ERA) and the Minnesota Twins (31-21) in the last of a four-game series at Fenway Park. The Twins won the last game 2-0 and Boston leads the series 2-1. The game gets underway at 4:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jun. 4 and will air on FSN-N, NESN and MLB Network.
In his last start, Wright pitched 5.2 innings, allowing three runs, striking out four and walking one in a 7-4 loss to the Rangers. Dustin Pedroia (.299, 21 Rs, 7 HRs, 22 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday. In his career against the Red Sox, Gibson is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 0.29 WHIP, and eight strikeouts. Brian Dozier (.260, 42 Rs, 10 HRs, 26 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Boston is a -149 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at eight runs. When playing as the favorite, the Red Sox have a 15-19 record and overall money line at -1,007. Don’t expect the Boston hitters to swing wildly. They average only 6.3 strikeouts per game.
On the other side, the Twins have a record of 24-18 when they are the underdog and are +1,526 overall with the money line. They have played at the top of their game when rated as the underdog as of late. They managed a 7-2 record when playing as the underdog and an SU record of 7-3. They sport the fifth-ranked offense in the AL, averaging 4.5 runs per game. The Twins are one of the top pitching staffs in the AL, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 4.1 runs allowed per game.
The Twins have gotten the better of the Red Sox in head-to-head matchups this season, going 4-2. The Red Sox will take on a right-hander (Gibson) in this game and have a 17-21 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Wright will take the mound against the Twins, who have a 15-14 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS, O/U – Over
Notes
Boston has won 45% (10-12) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Minnesota has won 53% (9-8) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Red Sox are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Twins have a 5-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they are outhit, the Red Sox are 4-26. The Twins have a 5-20 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 23rd in home runs, Minnesota has hit 41 this season. Boston ranks 14th with 50 home runs.
Ranking 11th, Boston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.19 per game. Minnesota ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 8.58.
Boston and Minnesota both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Boston sits at 23rd with an OPS of .680 and Minnesota ranks 22nd with an OPS of .686.
The Twins are 17-15 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Red Sox are 9-25 when they allow at least one homer.
