Wade Miley (1-2, 8.62 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox (12-11) go up against Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 4.15 ERA) and the New York Yankees (14-9) in the second of a three-game division series at Fenway Park. The Yankees won the last game 3-2 and New York leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 1:35 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 2 and will air on YES, NESN and MLB Network.
In his most recent outing, Miley pitched 2.1 innings, allowing six runs (one unearned) and walking two in an 18-7 loss to the Orioles. Pablo Sandoval (.321, 12 Rs, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4. In his pitching opportunities against the Red Sox, Eovaldi is 0-0 with a 5.06 ERA, one strike out and one walk. Brett Gardner (.308, 15 Rs, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Boston, a -133 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against New York. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is nine runs. When playing as the favorite, the Red Sox have an 8-6 record and overall money line at +18. They have an SU record of 8-8 against teams in their division and a 5-4 record when they were the favorite in those games. The have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out, averaging 8.7 strikeouts per game.
Switching gears, the Yankees come into this game with a solid win percentage of .600 when playing as the underdog (6-4) and an overall money line of +353. 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 Yankees rank fifth in the AL in scoring, averaging 5.0 runs per game. The Yankees are known for their bats, hitting 78 extra base hits. New York has an eye for the strike zone, ranking 3.8 in the AL with second walks per game. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the New York pitchers. They’ve allowed 2.8 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 3.8.
This game will feature Eovaldi (RHP) on the mound against the Red Sox, who have a 10-8 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Yankees will be the left-hander Miley. They sport a 4-3 record against southpaws.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYY, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Yankees won by a margin of one run. The Red Sox are 5-3 in one-run games. The Yankees have a 5-4 record in close games.
When the Red Sox play into extra innings, they have a 1-1 record. The Yankees are 0-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Yankees managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Red Sox who are heading in with a 7-6 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Red Sox and the Yankees are both undefeated. Boston has an 11-0 record in these situations while New York is 8-0.
Boston and New York both rank in the top five of the league in runs. Boston sits at third with 115 runs this season and New York ranks fourth with 112.
Boston ranks at the top of the league when it comes to walks with 95 this season. New York ranks in the top five at second with 89.
The Red Sox are 8-8 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Yankees are 10-8 when they hit at least one homer.
