The Boston Red Sox (49-48, 24-23 home) and Cleveland Guardians (48-47, 23-28 away) tangle in the second contest of a three-game set in Beantown. Boston took the opener Monday night, 3-1, extending their record 4-0 against the Guardians this season.
Tuesday’s first pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EST inside the historic Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Boston opens as the betting favorite at -155 with the over-under total set at ten runs.
What to Know – Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland rolls into Tuesday’s showdown on a three-game losing skid and is still winless against the Red Sox in 2022. The Guardians remain in earshot of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central, 3.5 games outside of the top spot.
Right-hander Bryan Shaw (4-2, 5.29 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is the probable starter for the Guardians in Tuesday’s contest. Shaw makes his first start of the season after being used out of the bullpen during the first half of the schedule. The 34-year-old has 34.0 innings of action, allowing 20 earned runs on 31 hits and 16 walks with 28 strikeouts.
All-Star Jose Ramirez continues to lead the Guardians at the dish. The star third baseman leads the team with 19 home runs, and 79 runs batted in and has scored 54 runs. Josh Naylor is having his best season of his career since becoming an everyday player, posting 13 home runs and 51 RBIs in 67 games.
The Guardians score 4.4 runs per game behind an offense that ranks eighth in the majors, hitting .252 as a team. Cleveland’s pitching staff is 15th in the MLB, sporting a 3.89 team earned run average.
What to Know – Boston Red Sox
Boston ended a five-game skid with Monday’s triumph over Cleveland. The Red Sox have a lot of ground to make up in the second half, sitting fourth in the AL East and 17 games back of their rival New York.
The Red Sox have righty Josh Winckowski (3-4, 4.38 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) penciled in to start for the hosts. Winckowski is expected to come of the COVID-19 list and log his first start since the All-Star break. In seven starts this year, the 24-year-old’s thrown 37.0 innings, surrendered 18 earned runs, 39 hits, walked 14, and struck out 26 batters.
Hitting hasn’t been an issue for Boston, led by the bat of Rafael Devers. The star has 22 home runs and 55 RBIs and 62 runs scored. Trevor Story’s trip to the IL has left a hole in the Boston lineup, but the hitting of Alex Verdugo and Xander Bogaerts will make up for it until he returns.
Boston sits fifth in the league with a .255 team batting average which produces 4.6 runs per contest. The pitching staff for the Red Sox has a 4.29 team ERA, ranking 23rd in the league.
The Pick is In
Tuesday’s contest appears to be a bullpen day for the Guardians. Neither starter has been impressive this season, and there should be plenty of runs scored in this one. Look for both offenses to take advantage of the lack of talent on the hill Tuesday night.
The Pick: Guardians/Red Sox Over 10.0
