The Cleveland Guardians will aim to head to Tampa Bay with three consecutive triumphs after they play the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday night.
Boston’s Performance Recap
The host Red Sox pulled out a win in the initial contest of this soon-to-be-completed four-game set but have given up 15 combined runs in defeats over the last two days.
The Guardians (50-47) endured a three-game losing streak before stacking a pair of wins. As of right now, they only sit 1.5 games behind the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins. Continuing to win in their MLB matchups will help them overtake that perch.
Boston (49-50) is 2-8 in its last ten tries, which has dropped them into being the only team in their grouping under .500 at the moment.
They also idle in last place in the American League East, with 17 games separating them and their archrival, the New York Yankees.
Red Sox’s Batting Average
The Red Sox have the fifth-best batting average in MLB, at .255. They’re still waiting on a tandem of their biggest offensive threats to make its return to the order.
Both second baseman Trevor Story and third baseman Rafael Devers are stuck on the injured list. Devers paces Boston by hitting .324 with 22 home runs, while Story has 58 RBIs.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is trying to hold the fort down, currently swinging for a .317 average and having come around 55 times. At home, catcher Christian Vazquez has posted a .310 average.
Red Sox vs. Guardians Odds
MLB odds are currently boasting the visitors as the favorites to take home another win. Cleveland is -1.5 on the run line at +136, while the Red Sox are -164 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Guardians are -118 and Boston a +100 underdog. The total has been set at nine runs, with the over being -112 and the under -108 at the time of this writing.
Batting Average
Cleveland has also been a bit of a force to be reckoned with at the dish. They grade out one spot below the Boston Red Sox in team batting average, having posted a .253 mark to this point.
The Guardians can’t say that they’re very powerful, though, being that their 77 total homers are the second-least in the bigs.
Second baseman Andres Gimenez is hitting .300 thus far, while third baseman Jose Ramirez has collected 19 home runs and 79 RBIs, which are the third-most in MLB.
Left fielder Steven Kwan has a team-high .368 on-base percentage, while shortstop Amed Rosario has 110 total knocks.
Red Sox vs. Guardians Betting Preview
Who Is Starting for the Red Sox?
Right-hander Kutter Crawford will head to the mound for the home team. So far this year, he’s made 14 appearances, five of which being starts for the Red Sox. He has a 2-3 record, a 4.50 ERA, and a 1.31 WHIP.
Boston’s results with him on the bump this month have been mixed. They’ve won half of his four outings but lost each of the previous two.
He last pitched on Saturday against Toronto, turning in six frames of work and allowing five hits and three earned runs.
Who Is Starting for the Guardians?
Opposing him will be Cleveland’s Triston McKenzie, who sports a 7-6 record along with having among the best WHIPs in the game at 0.98.
The Guardians haven’t lost with McKenzie on the rubber this month. They’ve won seven of his last eight starts in total. Against the Chicago White Sox Saturday, he went 5.2 innings, giving up four hits and a run.
In each of his four July starts, McKenzie has given up one run or less. For a Boston lineup that’s absent two effective hitters, that trend could spell trouble.
Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians Picks and Predictions
Now that the Guardians vs. Red Sox odds are out there, it’s time to make some MLB picks. Cleveland has the advantage on the mound, along with the momentum it needs to notch another win in this set. Go with the Guardians to cover the spread and leave Beantown happy.
MLB Pick: Guardians -1.5 (+140)
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