In the second of a four-game series between the Seattle Mariners (15-19) and the Boston Red Sox (15-19) at Safeco Field, J.A. Happ (3-1, 3.29 ERA) and Clay Buchholz (2-4, 5.73 ERA) get the start. The Red Sox won the last game 2-1 and Boston leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 15 and will air on NESN and ROOT-NW.
Happ is 3-3 with a 4.60 ERA against the Red Sox in his career, but is up against a struggling Boston offense that’s hitting just .232 on the year. Nelson Cruz (.361, 24 Rs, 15 HRs, 29 RBIs, 1 SB) played well again yesterday, going 3 for 3 with one run. In his pitching opportunities against the Mariners, Buchholz is 2-1 with a 3.71 ERA, 23 strikeouts and six walks. Hanley Ramirez (.284, 20 Rs, 10 HRs, 22 RBIs, 1 SB) has been doing well offensively for the Red Sox, going 4 for 5 yesterday.
Seattle, a -119 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Boston. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at seven runs. When playing as the favorite, the Mariners have a 12-12 record and overall money line at -679. Seattle’s pitching staff performs very well on its own field, with an AL-best 2.87 team ERA at home. The Mariners don’t give up many hits to opposing batters at Safeco Field, ranking fifth in the AL with only 7.6 hits allowed per home game.
Switching gears, the Red Sox come into this game with a win percentage of .500 when playing as the underdog (7-7) and an overall money line of -493. The Red Sox will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their 10 most recent games, Boston’s run production has dropped to 2.7 runs per game, compared to 3.9 for the duration of the season. The Red Sox average 3.8 walks per game, making them the most disciplined team in the AL. The Boston pitching staff has been an intimidating group on the road this year, averaging 7.5 strikeouts per game.
So far this season, the Red Sox are 1-0 against the Mariners. The Mariners will take on a right-hander (Buchholz) in this game and have a 12-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Happ will take the mound against the Red Sox, who have a 4-4 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – SEA, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Seattle is 7-3, while Boston is 7-9.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Mariners are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Red Sox have a 7-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
It looks like the Red Sox have a slight leg up on the Mariners, as the Red Sox have won their last two games while the Mariners have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Mariners are 7-7. The Red Sox have a 13-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 24th in runs, Seattle has earned 131 this season. Boston ranks 14th with 146 runs.
Ranking first in walks, Boston has earned 132 this season. Seattle ranks 21st with 91 walks.
The Mariners are 12-10 when they hit at least one home run. The Red Sox perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 12-11 record.
