Red Sox Look to Get Back on Track Against Reeling Rangers
The Red Sox will be looking to get back on track when they square off against the Rangers on Thursday May 2nd at Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Boston enjoyed its best April in franchise history, but so far May has been a bit of a mixed bag. The Red Sox are 1-1 this month and 5-5 in their last ten games.
The Rangers have also won five of their last ten, but still find themselves buried deep in the AL West cellar. They rank in the bottom third in the Majors in ERA and quality starts and are allowing opposing batters to hit a robust .276.
Below, find the opening odds, key statistics and betting trends, weather forecast, and score prediction for tonight’s game.
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | RUNLINE | O/U RUNS |
|---|---|---|
| RED SOX (-155) | RED SOX -1.5 (+105) | OVER 9.5 (-105) |
| RANGERS (+135) | RANGERS +1.5 (-125) | UNDER 9.5 (-115) |
Remember when the name “David Price” used to strike fear in the hearts of opposing batters? Neither do the Rangers. Texas’ current lineup is hitting .346 against the former Cy Young winner and has shown no fear against him over the years.
Price gave up four runs on nine hits in an April 22nd loss to the A’s, and five runs on eight hits in an April 28th loss to the Rays.
That blatant disregard for Price seems to have extended to the rest of the league as he’s been roughed up in each of his past two starts. The 6’5″ southpaw gave up four runs on nine hits in an April 22nd loss to the A’s, and five runs on eight hits in an April 28th loss to the Rays. Price has acknowledged that his focus has wavered at times in 2018 and has promised to remain locked in for his next start.
Taking the mound for the Rangers is Mike Minor, a converted reliever who spent last season in the Royals’ bullpen. The 30-year-old lefty is 2-1 with a 4.33 ERA and is coming off of a win against the Blue Jays in which he struck out four batters in six innings. Minor has a plus fastball and a deceptive knuckle curve which he employs to keep batters off balance.
Team Stats
| 22-8 (11-4 Away) | RECORD | 12-20 (8-8 Home) |
| +62 | RUN DIFFERENTIAL | -39 |
| LHP David Price: 2-3, 3.78 ERA, 1.32 WHIP | PROBABLE STARTER | LHP Mike Minor: 2-1, 4.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP |
| .268 BA, .362 OPS (in 41 at-bats) | LINEUP VS OPPONENT STARTER | .346 BA, .393 OPS (in 136 at-bats) |
| 3.71 ERA (12th in MLB) | BULLPEN ERA | 4.65 ERA (19th in MLB) |
| .785 (2nd in MLB) | TEAM OPS | .701 (20th in MLB) |
| 5-1 (2-1 Away) | 2017 HEAD-TO-HEAD | 1-5 (1-2 Home) |
Betting Results & Trends
| RED SOX | TREND | RANGERS |
|---|---|---|
| Won 1 | WIN/LOSS STREAK | Lost 3 |
| 5-5 | LAST 10 | 5-5 |
| 13-17 | RUNLINE RECORD | 13-19 |
| 16-13-1 | OVER/UNDER SPLIT | 17-13-2 |
| Under 1 | OVER/UNDER STREAK | Over 3 |
The Red Sox squeaked by the Royals 5-4 on Wednesday as Drew Pomeranz pitched six solid innings and Mookie Betts homered three times in his return to the starting lineup.
Matt Moore gave up ten earned runs in just four innings on Wednesday afternoon as the Rangers were clobbered 12-4 by the Indians. Edwin Encarnacion did most of the damage for Cleveland, going three-for-five with three home runs and six RBI.
Weather Forecast at Opening Pitch
| TEMPERATURE | 79° |
| HUMIDITY | 70% |
| WIND SPEED | S 13 mph |
| P.O.P. | 38% |
Score Prediction
| RED SOX | 8 |
| RANGERS | 4 |
The Red Sox have been maddeningly mediocre lately, but this is still the same team that began the season 17-2 and rattled off a pair of eight-game winning streaks before mid April. Boston’s offense has continued to produce at an elite level since its red hot start and ranks first in the Majors in hits and total bases and second in runs, RBI, batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS.
Even if Price gets in trouble early, Boston’s relievers should be able to mop things up and lead the team to victory.
Bettors have every right to be nervous about David Price’s past failures against the Rangers, but the Red Sox also have one of the better bullpens in baseball. Hector Velazquez, Matt Barnes, and Joe Kelly have all been sensational in 2018, and closer Craig Kimbrel looms as a Cy Young candidate. Even if Price gets in trouble early, Boston’s relievers should be able to mop things up and lead the team to victory.
Pick Boston to win this game and the series.
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
