On Tuesday, August 18th, the Boston Red Sox (6-17, 3-9 home) hosts the Philadelphia Phillies (8-9, 1-1 away) in game one of a two-game set. This is the first time the two teams will be meeting this season and the only series the Phillies will play in Boston.
These squads are scheduled to face off again later in the season with another two-game tilt in Philadelphia. First pitch for the contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST inside historic Fenway Park. The Phillies are a slight favorite (-117) for the series opener, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia had an off day yesterday after sweeping the New York Mets over the weekend. The Phillies outscored the Mets 18-9 over the three-game set. Thirteen of Philadelphia’s scheduled games have been postponed this season.
The Phillies will send Zach Eflin (0-1, 3.60 era, 1.30 whip) to the mound to secure his first victory of the season. Eflin has tossed ten innings this season over two starts, allowing four runs on 11 hits while striking out 15.
Philadelphia’s offensive numbers are down due to a handful of their early-season games being postponed. However, Philadelphia is tied for 5th in the league with a .261 team batting average.
Bryce Harper has been tearing the cover off the ball this season. The all-star is batting an eye-popping .364, 5th in the majors, with four home runs over just 17 games.
What to Know – Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox find themselves in an eight-game losing streak entering Tuesday night’s contest. Boston was swept in consecutive four-game series by league opponents Tampa Bay and rival New York Yankees.
Zack Godley (0-2, 8.16 era, 2.02 whip) is also searching for his first win of the season as he takes the mound for the BoSox. The right-hander has made four starts but just pitched a total of 14.1 innings. Two of Godley’s starts were a disaster, allowing five and eight earn runs, while the other two he did not allow a run.
The Red Sox possess one of the league’s worst pitching staffs. Boston’s pitching staff has the highest earned run average (6.03) and hits (223) in major league baseball.
On offense, veteran Kevin Pillar continues to put up solid numbers. The centerfielder is batting .313 with a .352 on-base percentage. Slugger Mitch Moreland has connected on six home runs over just 14 games. Moreland also leads the team with 12 runs driven in.
The Pick is In
It is not normal to see the Boston Red Sox on this bad of a losing skid, but this is 2020. Philadelphia, on the other hand, looked very good against the Mets over the weekend. With the shortened season and starting pitchers not going far into games, this season has relied on bullpens.
Philadelphia’s isn’t great, but it has outperformed Boston’s to-date. We feel safe taking the Philadelphia Phillies on the moneyline in this one.
