Nathan Karns (1-1, 4.58 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (6-8) meet Joe Kelly (1-0, 2.13 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox (9-5) in the second of a three-game division series at Tropicana Field. The Red Sox won the last game 1-0 and Boston leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 22 and will air on NESN and SunSports.
In his last start, Karns pitched 5.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out seven and walking four in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees. The Red Sox were unsuccessful the last time Kelly pitched. He pitched well, going, going 5.2 innings, allowing two runs, striking out three and walking two in a 3-2 loss to the Orioles. Hanley Ramirez (.269, 9 Rs, 5 HRs, 12 RBIs, 1 SB) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one stolen base.
Tampa Bay is a small underdog (+102) and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Rays are 5-4 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -56. They have an SU record of 4-6 against teams in their division and a 3-3 record when they were the underdog in those games. Division games have been tough for the Rays. Tampa Bay has only averaged 3.2 runs per game compared to its 3.9 season average. The Rays are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 13 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
On the other side, the Red Sox have a record of 5-4 when they are favored and are +173 overall with the money line. Against divisional foes, they are 4-3 SU and 2-2 as the favorite. They sport the second-ranked offense in the AL, averaging 5.4 runs per game. Boston has an eye for the strike zone, averaging an AL-best 4.7 walks per game. Switching gears to Boston’s pitching staff, they have some of the most overpowering arms in the AL with an average of 8.6 strikeouts per game.
So far this season, the Red Sox are 1-0 against the Rays. This game will feature Kelly (RHP) on the mound against the Rays, who have a 5-5 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Karns will take the mound against the Red Sox, who have a 6-4 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – BOS, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Red Sox won by a margin of one run. The Rays are 2-4 in one-run games. The Red Sox have a 4-0 record in close games.
When leading after 7 innings, Boston is 3-2, while Tampa Bay is 1-4.
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 2-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
It looks like the Red Sox have a slight leg up on the Rays, as the Red Sox have won their last two games while the Rays have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rays are 5-1. The Red Sox have an 8-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 19th in runs, Tampa Bay has earned 51 this season. Boston ranks fifth with 71 runs.
Boston tops the league in walks with 63 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the top five at second with 56.
The Rays are 4-6 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Red Sox are 5-3 when they hit at least one homer.
