Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.71 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox (18-13) go up against Sonny Gray (3-3, 4.84 ERA) and the Oakland Athletics (14-18) in the first of a three-game series at Fenway Park. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 9 and will air on CSCA and NESN.
In his most recent outing, Buchholz pitched 7.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out six and walking two in a 5-2 victory over the White Sox. David Ortiz (.308, 17 Rs, 9 HRs, 27 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with two runs, two home runs, and two RBIs. The Athletics were unsuccessful against the Mariners 8-2 the last time Gray pitched. He went 7.0 innings, allowing seven runs, striking out six and walking one. Josh Reddick (.319, 13 Rs, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs, 2 SBs) has been hitting the ball well, going 3 for 3 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Red Sox have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire AL, averaging 0.0 runs per game. The Red Sox are an exceptional hitting team with a .281 team batting average, one of the highest marks in the MLB. The Red Sox are a nightmare on the bases for opponents with 25 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. Boston’s pitching staff has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game dropped to 0.0 during that span, compared to its 0.0 season average.
Oakland has been playing better lately, averaging 0.0 runs per game, more than their season average of 0.0. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Oakland pitchers. They’ve allowed 0.0 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 0.0.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS
Notes
The Red Sox are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Athletics have a 5-7 record when opponents give up one walk or less.
When they are outhit, the Red Sox are 1-8. The Athletics have a 2-14 record when opponents outhit them.
Both Boston and Oakland are tied at 15th in home runs, hitting 32 this season.
Ranking 16th, Oakland is in the bottom half of the league in hits, notching 8.22 per game. Boston ranks in the top five at second with 9.81.
Ranking 27th, Oakland is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.672). Boston ranks in the top 10 at sixth with an OPS of .797.
When the Athletics allow at least one home run, they are 6-15. When the Red Sox allow one or more homers, they have a 12-9 record.
