In the second of a three-game series between the Boston Red Sox (31-41) and the Baltimore Orioles (31-41) at Fenway Park, Clay Buchholz (4-6, 3.87 ERA) and Bud Norris (2-5, 7.57 ERA) get the start. The Orioles won the last game 6-4 and Baltimore leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 24 and will air on MASN and NESN.
Buchholz is 9-5 with a 3.81 ERA against the Orioles in his career, and faces a strong Baltimore offense that’s hitting .260 on the year. Hanley Ramirez (.277, 41 Rs, 15 HRs, 38 RBIs, 3 SBs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Red Sox, Norris is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA. He gets a solid Boston offense that’s batting .255. Manny Machado (.305, 48 Rs, 14 HRs, 39 RBIs, 11 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Orioles, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one RBI.
Boston, a -141 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Baltimore. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at eight runs. The Red Sox are 20-26 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -1,648. They have disappointing records of 6-13 as the favorite and 10-21 SU within their division. Boston has averaged 6.1 runs per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 4.1. The Red Sox typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an impressive 3.2 walks per game. Boston’s pitchers struggle within their division. The Red Sox have given up an average of 5.7 runs to intra-division opponents, well over their defense’s season average of 4.7.
Switching gears, the Orioles come into this game with a win percentage of .424 when playing as the underdog (14-19) and an overall money line of +269. They have played at the top of their game when rated as the underdog as of late. They managed a 3-1 record when playing as the underdog and an SU record of 7-3. The Orioles rank third in the AL in scoring, averaging 4.6 runs per game. Switching gears to Baltimore’s pitching staff, they have the fifth-lowest ERA in the AL at 3.74.
The Orioles have gotten the best of the Red Sox in head-to-head matchups this season, going 8-3. This game will feature Norris (RHP) on the mound against the Red Sox, who have a 23-29 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Buchholz will take the mound against the Orioles, who have a 27-27 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – BAL, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Baltimore is 17-11, while Boston is 15-17.
The Orioles managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Red Sox who are heading in with an 11-8 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Orioles are 28-7. The Red Sox have a 27-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 15th, Boston is in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 293 this season. Baltimore ranks in the top five at third with 323.
Ranking 22nd, Baltimore is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 177 this season. Boston ranks in the top five at fourth with 232.
When the Red Sox hit at least one home run, they are 23-23. When the Orioles hit at least one homer, they have a 30-16 record.
