Mets vs Red Sox Odds, Betting Lines, and Probable Pitchers (Sep. 21)
- The Boston Red Sox are -150 home favorites over the New York Mets in this intra-league game on Tuesday, September 21
- Boston holds down the first of two American League Wild Card postseason positions
- New York has slumped to 7.5 games out of a National League Wild Card spot
The Boston Red Sox (86-65, 47-29 home) are clinging to an AL Wild Card playoff position. In New York, the Mets (73-77, 29-44 away) have all but said goodbye to any hope of a postseason position that seemed so certain a little over a month ago.
Entering play on August 1, the Mets were 4.5 games ahead in the NL East. They’ve gone 17-29 since. Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies ended a five-game losing skid.
Boston will take the field Monday with the third-most wins in the AL. The BoSox are 1.5 games clear in the AL Wild Card race.
Oddsmakers have set the Red Sox as the -150 favorites in this game. Boston is 40-23 as the home chalk this season.
Mets vs Red Sox Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | +130 | +1.5 (-140) | O 9.5 (-105) |
| Boston Red Sox | -150 | -1.5 (+120) | U 9.5 (-115) |
Odds as of September 21st at DraftKings
First pitch for Tuesday’s game at Fenway Park is set for 7:10 pm ET. Clouds, 6 mph wind and a temperature of 69 degrees are forecast for the night.
Stroman vs Rodriguez
| 9-12 | Record | 11-8 |
| 2.88 | ERA | 5.00 |
| 4.05 | xERA | 3.67 |
| 1.12 | WHIP | 1.38 |
| 3.78 | SO/W Ratio | 4.13 |
Mets right-hander Stroman has already reached double digits in losses for the third straight season and looks doomed to a third successive losing campaign. He can take solace in knowing that he’s answered the bell. Stroman leads the NL with 31 games started.
His strikeouts to walks ratio (3.78) and WHIP (1.18) are Stroman’s best since his rookie season of 2014 with the Toronto Blue Jays (3.96, 1.17). His 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings are also the second-best number of his MLB career.
Stability and balance always. pic.twitter.com/ijsoJls8Ny
— Marcus Stroman (@STR0) September 18, 2021
Like the Mets, a promising start has fizzled out for Stroman. He’s 3-8 in his last 11 decisions. New York is 6-11 over his last 17 starts. He’s 5-6 with a 2.81 ERA in 16 road starts in 2021.
Red Sox left-hander Rodriguez hasn’t been as steady as in 2019 when he led the league in starts (34) and fewest bases on balls issued (75) while going 19-6 and finishing six in AL Cy Young Award voting.
He missed the entire 2020 season after testing positive for COVID-19 and subsequently dealing with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart that’s been connected to some COVID-19 cases.
Eduardo Rodríguez, 94mph Fastball…and Sword. ⚔️
"That's a Sword for PitchingNinja." 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0shYRAKPtI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 3, 2021
Rodriguez is 4-2 since the beginning of August but the Red Sox are just 4-4 over his past eight starts. He’s 1-3 in his last four decisions at Fenway Park. Through his last five starts, he’s had two where he allowed one earned run or fewer, and two where he’s allowed five earned runs or more.
He’s averaging 10.4 strikeouts against 2.5 walks per nine innings this season. This will be the first time in his MLB career that Rodriguez is facing the Mets.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Red Sox Batters | Batting Average vs Stroman | Mets Batters | Batting Average vs Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xander Bogaerts | .321 | Pete Alonso | .000 |
| Bobby Dalbec | .000 | Javier Baez | .000 |
| Rafael Devers | .200 | Michael Conforto | .000 |
| Enrique Hernandez | .000 | JD Davis | .000 |
| Jose Iglesias | .250 | Luis Guillorme | .000 |
| Jack Lopez | .000 | Francisco Lindor | .143 |
| JD Martinez | .250 | James McCann | .231 |
| Kevin Plawecki | .333 | Jeff McNeil | .000 |
| Hunter Renfroe | .500 | Tomas Nido | .000 |
| Kyle Schwarber | .400 | Brandon Nimmo | .000 |
| Travis Shaw | .267 | Jose Peraza | .000 |
| Christian Vazquez | .500 | Kevin Pillar | .217 |
| Alex Verdugo | .000 | Dominic Smith | .000 |
| — | — | Jonathan Villar | .200 |
Several Red Sox hitters have had their way with Stroman. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is 9-for-28 (.321) with two homers and three RBI. Catcher Christian Vazquez is 7-for-14 (.500). Outfielder Hunter Renfroe is 1-for-2 (.500). Outfielder Kyle Schwarber is 2-for-5 (.400) and catcher Kevin Plawecki is 2-for-6 (.333) with an RBI.
Xander Bogaerts – Boston Red Sox (22) https://t.co/x0dDBDRnIg
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) September 18, 2021
No Mets have really enjoyed much luck at the plate against Rodriguez. Catcher James McCann is 3-for-13 (.231) with two solo homers. Outfielder Kevin Pillar is 5-for-23 (.217) with two RBI.
Mets vs Red Sox Pick
Since the 1986 World Series, the Mets are 8-9 at Fenway Park. However, these Mets are 0-4 in Stroman’s last four starts.
Stroman saw a lot of the Red Sox during his time with the Blue Jays. He’s 6-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 14 starts against Boston. At Fenway Park, he’s 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts.
On to the next one. pic.twitter.com/J7Imln7ydt
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 19, 2021
New York is 7-15 in its last 22 road games. Boston is riding a five-game win streak. The Red Sox have scored 41 runs in those five games,
Pick: Boston Red Sox (-150)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
