The Red Sox picked up tonight’s starter in the offseason for big games like this in the American League East division.
Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay is floundering after starting the season with a fantastic 32-12 mark, going 12-19 over its last 31 games. “We’ve had a rough patch…as bad as we’ve been playing and we’re only three games back, that’s got to say a lot about where we were,” pitcher Matt Garza said. The Rays offense must get back on track, hitting .170 over their recent six-game homestand, including just .063 (7-for-50) with runners in scoring position. Being away from Tropicana Field has been a winning combination for the young squad, posting an impressive 24-12 mark (+990) and averaging 5.6 runs. This fits well with the road team winning all seven games between these clubs in 2010. The Rays are surprisingly just 3-4 as a road underdog of +100 to +125 this season (-50).
Rays SP James Shields has a losing 6-7 record and 4.55 ERA in 16 outings (15 starts) this season (-410), allowing 112 hits in 99 innings of work. The right-hander is a solid 5-3 with a 3.49 ERA in eight road appearances (seven starts), as he tallied a relief victory against the Florida Marlins in his last outing away from Tropicana Field. Shields carries a dismal 4-8 mark and 5.02 ERA in 14 career starts against the Red Sox (-880), but was solid in his last outing against them in a losing effort. In that particular home game on May 25, he allowed just two runs and four hits over eight innings.
Boston has jumped Tampa Bay in the standings due to a 19-8 run that started back on May 29, as the team trailed the one-time division leaders by 8.5 games last month. The Red Sox enjoyed Monday’s off-day and sit just two games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East standings. Boston is 4-6 following a day off this year (-420), which is surprising given the fact the club is an outstanding 32-19 in this situation the last three years (+720). The break in schedule is coming at the perfect time with key injuries surfacing, as the team has lost second baseman Dustin Pedroia (left foot) for an extended amount of time and catcher Victor Martinez is suffering from a fractured left thumb. “We have some really good players that are getting beat up,” manager Terry Francona said. “I think you lose a little bit of margin for error when this happens.”
Red Sox SP John Lackey is 8-3 with a 4.69 ERA in 15 starts this year (-100), but has allowed 111 hits and 37 walks over just 94 innings. The right-hander is 6-1 with a 5.03 ERA in eight home outings (+300), with the team recording five straight victories by a 39-18 margin. Lackey has been very successful over his career against the Rays, posting a 10-3 record and 3.71 ERA in 14 starts (+720). He led the Red Sox to a 11-3 road victory in his last start against them, allowing just two runs on eight hits over 6.1 innings.
The road team offers value in this contest despite Shields terrible numbers at Fenway Park, with the Red Sox carrying a 3-5 record at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season (-270). Boston stands at 46-31 overall, but that mark has been posted without any type of success against division opponents with an even 15-15 record (-360).
