Justin Masterson (2-0, 4.71 ERA) and Alex Colome (1-0, 0.00 ERA) start in the last of a three-game series between the Boston Red Sox (13-14) and the Tampa Bay Rays (14-13) at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won the last game 2-0 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May. 6 and can be seen on SunSports and NESN.
Masterson is 2-7 with a 6.83 ERA in his appearances against the Rays, but goes up against a below-average Tampa Bay offense which is batting just .233 this season. Colome went 5.0 innings, surrendering zero runs and striking out six in a 2-0 win over the Orioles in his last outing. Logan Forsythe (.303, 8 Rs, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Boston is a -129 favorite against Tampa Bay and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at eight runs. The Red Sox have an overall money line of -507 and a record as the favorite of 8-10. Boston has had a discouraging season against division opponents, earning records of 5-8 and 8-12 as the favorite and SU respectively. The Red Sox have seen a decline in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 4.2 runs per game. They average 4.7 runs per game on the season. Boston leads the whole AL in walks, earning an average of 4.0 per game. Turning to the pitchers, opponents have consistently been struck out by the Red Sox, who rank fourth in the AL in strikeouts per game with 8.2.
In games where it is the underdog, Tampa Bay has a 9-7 record and an overall money line of +277. They are 7-6 as the underdog against AL East rivals, and 12-11 SU. Tampa Bay is excellent at drawing walks with 3.4 per game, ranking fifth in the AL. The Rays allow 3.6 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 2.5 runs per game during that span. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Rays are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.11 for the season.
The Rays lead the season series, 3-2. The Red Sox have a 10-11 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Colome takes the mound. Masterson (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rays, who have an 11-8 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB, O/U – Over
Notes
Boston won its last game in a shutout, its third of the season. Tampa Bay has been shut out four times this season.
When the Red Sox and the Rays play into extra innings, both teams have a 1-1 record.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Rays are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Red Sox have a 3-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 11-2. The Red Sox have an 11-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd in runs, Tampa Bay has earned 96 this season. Boston ranks sixth with 125 runs.
Boston ranks at the top of the league when it comes to walks with 106 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 89.
The Red Sox are 9-10 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Rays are 8-7 when they hit at least one homer.
