In the first of a one-game series between the Cleveland Indians (67-48) and the Boston Red Sox (64-52) at Progressive Field, Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.18 ERA) and Drew Pomeranz (8-9, 3.03 ERA) get the ball. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 15 and will air on STOh and NESN.
In his most recent outing, Tomlin pitched 4.0 innings, giving up seven runs, striking out four and walking one in a 7-4 loss to the Nationals. Mike Napoli (.265, 76 Rs, 29 HRs, 84 RBIs, 4 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. The Red Sox were also unsuccessful the last time Pomeranz pitched. He had a good outing, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing one run, striking out five and walking one in a 9-4 loss to the Yankees. Mookie Betts (.313, 91 Rs, 26 HRs, 84 RBIs, 18 SBs) has been hitting the ball well, going 4 for 6 yesterday with four runs, three home runs, and eight RBIs.
Cleveland is favored by a small -115 margin in its matchup against Boston. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at nine runs. The Indians perform well as a favorite with a 51-34 record and have an overall money line of +683. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (5-2). The Indians come into the game with the second-ranked scoring offense in the AL, averaging 5.1 runs per game. The Indians are a nightmare on the bases for opponents with 95 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
On the other side, the Red Sox have a record of 17-15 when they are the underdog and are -551 overall with the money line. They sport the second-ranked offense in the AL, averaging four runs per game. The Red Sox are known for their bats, hitting a league-leading 431 extra base hits.
The Red Sox are 3-2 against the Indians this season. The Indians will take on a left-hander (Pomeranz) in this game. They have done very well against left-handed starting pitchers this season (22-11), especially at home where they have a 12-4 record. The right-handed Tomlin will take the mound against the Red Sox, who have a 49-39 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
Boston recorded at least two errors for the 12th time this season.
The Indians are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Red Sox have an 18-24 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they are outhit, the Red Sox are 7-32. The Indians have an 8-34 record when opponents outhit them.
Boston ranks in the top half of the league at 12th when it comes to home runs, hitting 148 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top 10 with 151.
Boston tops the league in hits with 9.93 per game this season. Cleveland ranks in the top five at third with 9.18.
Boston tops the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage of .820 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top five at fourth with an OPS of .774.
The Red Sox are 37-43 when they allow at least one home run. The Indians perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 41-42 record.
