Daniel Norris (1-1, 3.47 ERA) and Drew Pomeranz (9-9, 2.99 ERA) are on the hill in the third of a four-game series between the Detroit Tigers (64-58) and the Boston Red Sox (68-53) at Comerica Park. The Red Sox won the last game 10-2, and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 20 and can be seen on NESN and FSDT.
Norris pitched 5.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering two, striking out one and walking four in a 3-1 defeat to the Royals. J.D. Martinez (.315, 47 Rs, 17 HRs, 47 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 3 with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. Pomeranz went 7.2 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out six and walking two in a 3-2 win over the Indians in his most recent start. David Ortiz (.315, 59 Rs, 28 HRs, 95 RBIs, 2 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Red Sox, going 2 for 3 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
Boston takes on Detroit as a -128 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at nine runs. The Tigers have an overall money line of +1,226 and a record as the underdog of 32-41. The Tigers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.7 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.6 runs per game.
In games where it is the favorite, Boston has a 50-37 record and an overall money line of -251. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 7-2 record and a 7-3 record SU. Offensively, they average 5.5 runs per game, which the best in the AL. The Red Sox are tough outs for opponents, leading the AL with 10.0 hits per game. Boston is excellent at making contact with just 7.0 strikeouts per game, ranking third in the AL.
The Tigers lead the season series, 4-1. The Tigers have a 17-18 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Pomeranz takes the mound. Norris (LHP) will be on the hill against the Red Sox, who have a 14-14 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS, O/U – Over
Notes
The Tigers are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Red Sox have a 21-25 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they are outhit, the Red Sox are 7-33. The Tigers have a 10-42 record when opponents outhit them.
Detroit and Boston both rank in the top 10 of the league in home runs. Detroit sits at seventh with 158 home runs this season and Boston ranks eighth with 157.
Ranking first in hits, Boston has earned 9.96 per game this season. Detroit ranks third with 9.13 hits.
Ranking first in on-base plus slugging percentage, Boston has an OPS of .824 this season. Detroit ranks 11th with an OPS of .759.
The Red Sox are 40-43 when they allow at least one home run. The Tigers perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 33-41 record.
