Bud Norris (0-2, 17.42 ERA) and Wade Miley (1-1, 6.08 ERA) start in the last of a three-game series between the Baltimore Orioles (8-10) and the Boston Red Sox (10-8) at Camden Yards. The Orioles won the last game 5-4 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 1:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, Apr. 26 and can be seen on NESN, MASN and MLB Network.
Norris is 1-2 with a 3.41 ERA in his appearances against the Red Sox, and goes up against a below-average Boston offense which is batting just .234 this season. Adam Jones (.412, 15 Rs, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 5 with one run. Miley is 0-0 with a 5.14 ERA against the Orioles in his career. He is up against a quality Baltimore offense that’s batting .272. Hanley Ramirez (.292, 12 Rs, 6 HRs, 13 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate for the Red Sox, going 2 for 3 yesterday with one run.
Boston takes on Baltimore as a -118 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Orioles have recorded an overall money line of -283 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 3-6. Baltimore has recorded a disappointing 2-5 record as the underdog over its last 10 games. The Orioles are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 58.
In games where it is the favorite, Boston has a 6-5 record and an overall money line of +153. They are 3-3 as the favorite against teams in their division, and 6-5 SU. Offensively, they average 4.9 runs per game, which is good for fourth in the AL. Boston is excellent at drawing walks with an AL-best 4.2 per game. The Red Sox have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.7 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
Norris (RHP) will be on the hill against the Red Sox, who have an 8-6 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Red Sox lost by a margin of one run. The Orioles are 3-3 in one-run games. The Red Sox have a 4-2 record in close games.
When the Orioles play into extra innings, they have a 1-0 record. The Red Sox are 1-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Red Sox are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Orioles have a 2-2 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Orioles are 7-3. The Red Sox have a 9-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Both falling in the top five of the league based on total runs this season, Baltimore ranks fifth with 86 runs and Boston is fourth with 88.
Boston tops the league in walks with 75 this season. Baltimore ranks in the bottom half at 16th with 51.
The Orioles are 8-7 when they hit at least one home run. The Red Sox perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 6-5 record.
