Red Sox vs Rays Game 2 Odds, Picks, and Probable Pitchers
- The Red Sox and Rays meet in Game 2 of the ALDS on Friday night
- Tampa took the series opener with a dominant 5-0 victory
- Find the odds, preview, and prediction, below
The Boston Red Sox will be looking to bounce back on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the ALDS, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:02 PM EST at Tropicana Field. Tampa cruised to a convincing 5-0 win in the series opener on Thursday behind a fantastic outing from rookie Shane McClanahan, who tossed five innings of shutout baseball.
In Game 2, the Red Sox send their ace, Chris Sale, to the mound, while the Rays counter with another rookie in Shane Baz, who has only made three starts at the big league level after making his debut on September 20th.
Red Sox vs Rays Game 2 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | +100 | -1.5 (+170) | Ov 7 (-115) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -120 | +1.5 (-200) | Un 7 (-105) |
Odds as of October 7th at DraftKings.
Probable Pitchers
Sale gets the ball here as Boston looks to avoid an 0-2 hole. Despite being one of the best arms in the game, the lefty has limited playoff experience. In fact, he’s struggled immensely in the heat of October, going 1-2 in seven appearances while posting a 5.76 ERA. Last time out, Sale was chased after two innings against the Nationals but he gave up only two runs and struck out seven batters. He missed most of the year due to injury but was effective once he was back in action for the Red Sox, going 5-1 in nine starts with a 3.16 ERA.
https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1446217050330894336
Although Sale has surrendered seven earned across his previous three outings, the postseason is a whole different animal. Both of his starts against the Rays in 2021 were impressive though, tossing six frames in each and allowing just four runs combined. However, Tampa’s lineup has a career .274 average vs. Sale.
Sale vs Baz
| 5-1 | Record | 2-0 |
| 3.16 | ERA | 2.03 |
| 42.1 | Innings Pitched | 13.1 |
| 52 | SO | 18 |
| 12 | BB | 3 |
Baz has been stellar since getting the call to the show, compiling a 2.03 ERA in three MLB starts, while going 2-0. He allowed just three earned runs and was up against a couple of very dangerous offenses in the Blue Jays and Yankees. This is certainly a gamble for Tampa to put their trust in Baz in a playoff game given his minimal service time, but he has proven to be very effective thus far.
Shane Baz, 97mph Fastball and 86mph Breaking Ball, Overlay/Tails. pic.twitter.com/Gs01UhKT2S
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 2, 2021
The righty sits comfortably in the mid-90s but is capable of dialing it up to triple digits when need be. He complements the heater with a swing and miss slider, developing changeup, and curveball. There’s no shortage of pitches in Baz’s arsenal and they will all be on full display in Game 2. He’s never faced the Red Sox, either.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Rays Hitters | Average vs Sale |
|---|---|
| Randy Arozarena | .200 |
| Nelson Cruz | .343 |
| Yandy Diaz | .500 |
| Wander Franco | .667 |
| Kevin Kiermaier | .300 |
| Jordan Luplow | .400 |
| Manuel Margot | .600 |
| Austin Meadows | .000 |
| Mike Zunino | .000 |
Boston was extremely quiet in Game 1 at the plate, failing to score a single run. But, it simply came down to their inability to capitalize on opportunities. The Red Sox actually registered nine hits but left a total of eight runners on base. Xander Bogaerts, Kyle Schwarber, and Christian Arroyo all had multi-hit games in the loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_44bzYCbP0
On the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez had a short leash and was yanked after 1.2 innings, with Nick Pivetta throwing 4.2 innings in relief and allowing three earned runs. Boston has never seen Baz before, but this is essentially a must-win game for them which means they have to set the tone early and put runs on the board.
The American League’s best team fully lived up to the hype on Thursday, with their offense firing on all cylinders. Randy Arozarena led the way with a solo home run while also coming across the plate three times. He made history in the seventh inning when he stole home, becoming the first player to do so in the postseason since Jackie Robinson in the 1955 World Series.
Rookie phenom Wander Franco also smacked two doubles in the victory while Nelson Cruz hit a moonshot off Pivetta in the third inning. Although Sale has done well against Tampa Bay this season, there’s a number of hitters on their roster who have raked off the southpaw. Cruz is hitting .343 off Sale with two bombs. Yandy Diaz and Kevin Kiermaier have also enjoyed their fair share of success against the former Cy Young-winner.
Red Sox vs Rays Game 2 Prediction
Baz has been lights out, but I do believe the Red Sox will respond here with an impressive offensive display. Sale will turn around his postseason woes and keep the Rays at bay. Take Boston on the moneyline to even up the ALDS.
Pick: Boston Red Sox moneyline (+100)
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
