The Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation has flat out stunk to start the season. Staff “ace” Clay Buchholz is no exception, as he has been battered in his last two starts. The Red Sox badly need Buchholz to begin pitching like a true No. 1, and he’ll get his chance to regain some confidence against the Tampa Bay Rays and their weak-hitting lineup. But the Rays counter with the impressive Jake Odorizzi, who’s pitched lights out himself.
Who will gain the upper hand in this pitching matchup? Learn more about this AL East showdown with our preview below. Turn your attention to more of Thursday’s MLB offerings, headlined by the Dodgers vs. Giants.
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Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Preview
Where: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
When: Thursday, April 23, 7:10 PM ET
Line: Boston Red Sox (EVEN) at Tampa Bay Rays (-110); total 7.5 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox rotation was projected to be a significant issue heading into the season, and it’s coming to fruition through the first 15 games of the season. The Sox starters are second-from-bottom in ERA (5.49), as Joe Kelly (five earned runs in five innings) surrendered a four-run lead in yesterday’s 7-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox are now 3-4 since their hot 6-2 start.
[sc:MLB240banner ]On the bright side, Dustin Pedroia launched his fourth home run of the season, putting him more than halfway through last year’s total of seven in a fraction of the time. The Boston offense is living up to its preseason billing as a run-scoring machine. The Sox are averaging five runs per game, fifth in MLB.
But even with the Red Sox lineup producing runs, they still need some solid pitching to hold onto their leads. Clay Buchholz, the staff’s supposed No. 1 starter, hasn’t pitched like a No. 1 in his first three starts. He pitched seven scoreless innings in his season debut, but has since followed that up with back-to-back poor outings.
He lasted just 3.1 innings and gave up nine earned runs against the Yankees, and served up two runs on 11 hits in six innings as he took the loss in his latest start against the Orioles.
Betting on the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays finally snapped a four-game home losing streak with a 7-5 win over the Red Sox yesterday. Four Rays, including Evan Longoria and Asdrubal Cabrera, had multi-hit games as they matched the number of runs they scored during that losing skid in a single game.
The Rays’ lineup is way down in 23rd in runs per game (3.64), but they’ll be eager to pounce on the scuffling Buchholz. Longoria has struggled throughout his career against the Boston right-hander. He’s just 8-of-40 lifetime with 14 strikeouts and a single RBI. Cabrera, though, is 4-of-9, with two of those hits being home runs.
Tonight’s starter, Jake Odorizzi, has pitched very well to start the year. He’s yielded a 1.74 ERA in his first three starts. But he had his least impressive performance last time out as he gave up three runs in six innings in the Rays’ 9-0 loss to the Yankees. Odorizzi will be hoping for some added run support in this upcoming start. The Rays have scored just three runs for Odorizzi in those three starts.
Writer’s Prediction
Odorizzi outduels Buchholz as the Rays prevail, 4-2. Create a betting account now and outduel the baseball odds throughout the MLB season.
