It’s been all Boston throughout the first two games of this series, and Colorado’s desperate for a win. The Rockies, who have now lost their past three contests, will have one last opportunity to make a mark in tonight’s series finale. Can they succeed in doing so? Or will the Red Sox complete the sweep? Read on below for a closer look at this interleague matchup.
For more baseball, click here for a detailed preview of the series opener between the White Sox and Royals.
Heading to the mound for the Rockies will be Jon Gray, who is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA. He’s coming off a forgettable performance against the Cardinals last Thursday. In that game, Gray allowed three hits and nine runs—all earned—across 3 1/3 innings. Colorado obviously lost there, 13-7.
Prior to that game though, the 24-year-old righty was sizzling hot in his previous three starts. That stretch includes an incredible showing opposite the Giants on May 7, during which he logged in seven shutout innings and delivered five strikeouts. Gray will definitely be looking to replicate that effort in his first career start opposite the Red Sox.
The Rockies’ offense has also been a big concern throughout this interleague series. The team’s only managed to garner three runs each in the past two games. And clearly, Colorado’s going to need more than that to get a victory later.
That being said, look to Mark Reynolds and Nolan Arenado deliver the goods at the plate. Both have been the Rockies’ most reliable hitters this season.
Reynolds leads the team in batting (.318) and OBP (.377). He’s also riding on a seven-game hitting streak. In that span, Reynolds has gone 9-of-27 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
Arenado, meanwhile, is batting .292 and carries team-bests of 14 homers, 34 RBIs and 51 hits. He’s only 1-of-16 in the previous four games, however.
Colorado is 3-7 SU in its last 10 road games.
Betting on the Boston Red Sox (29-17)
Boston’s been bashing its way to victory in this series. The Red Sox have already accumulated 18 runs in the previous two games, and another offensive outburst later tonight wouldn’t come as a surprise.
Jackie Bradley Jr. and David Ortiz have been simply phenomenal at the plate this season. The two are batting .350 and .333, respectively.
Ortiz, in particular, has been arguably better. He leads the team in homers (11), RBIs (43) and OBP (.418). More importantly, the soon-to-retire Ortiz is a playing at his best lately. He’s gone 9-of-15 with five doubles, nine RBIs and one homer in the last four games.
Of course, shortstop Xander Bogaerts cannot be left unmentioned. He should be able to cause havoc to Colorado’s pitching staff again. Bogaerts owns a triple-slash line of .373/.425/.545 across 26 home games this year. He’ll also be aiming to extend his 18-game hitting streak, which is currently the second-longest in the majors behind his teammate Bradley.
Meanwhile, toeing the rubber for the Red Sox is Clay Buchholz (2-4, 5.92 ERA). He’ll be entering this game with redemption on his mind. Buchholz took his fourth loss of the season versus Cleveland on Friday night, as he gave up five hits and four runs (three earned) throughout six innings of work. He’ll also be making his first career start against the Rockies.
