Joe Kelly (1-0, 1.29 ERA) and Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) take the hill in the first of a four-game series between the Boston Red Sox (6-3) and the Baltimore Orioles (5-4) at Fenway Park. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 17 and can be seen on MASN, NESN and MLB Network.
Kelly pitched 7.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering one run, striking out eight and walking two in an 8-4 win over the Yankees. Hanley Ramirez (.278 ) went 1 for 4 Wednesday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. When pitching against the Red Sox, Jimenez is 1-3 with a 9.37 ERA, 2.02 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts. Jonathan Schoop (.292 ) has been successful at the plate to the start the season, going 2 for 3 Wednesday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
The odds for Boston and Baltimore are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Red Sox have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the AL in offense with 6.2 runs per game. Boston is one of the best in the AL in terms of walks, earning an average of 4.6 per game. Crossing over to the pitching staff, opponents have consistently been struck out by the Red Sox, who rank third in the AL in strikeouts per game with 8.9.
The Orioles are 5-4 against AL East rivals.
The Red Sox have a 5-2 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Jimenez takes the mound. Kelly (RHP) will be on the hill against the Orioles, who have a 4-3 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Baltimore is 2-1, while Boston is 3-2.
The Red Sox managed to give up six walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Orioles who are coming in with a 2-0 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When outhit, the Red Sox and the Orioles both have records of 0-3.
Baltimore tops the league in home runs with 15 this season. Boston ranks in the top five at fifth with 11.
Boston and Baltimore both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Boston sits at fourth with 9.89 hits per game and Baltimore ranks fifth with 8.89.
Ranking ninth, Boston is in the top 10 of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.721). Baltimore ranks in the top five at fourth with an OPS of .813.
The Orioles are 3-2 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Red Sox are 3-3 when they allow at least one homer.
