The Boston Red Sox ( 21-24, -$698 ) and Texas Rangers ( 22-23, $670 ) are not too far apart in terms of overall record, but the two teams meet on Thursday while going in opposite directions.
The Red Sox started off relatively strong, but have lost 14 of 23 since the start of May while the Rangers have had a good month, going 15-9.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Rangers won the first series between these two teams, two games to one and will look to clinch the season series in the four game set starting on Thursday after the Sox took last year’s six game set with four wins.
While struggling though a tough month, Boston did win their weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels, giving some hope that they may be turning things around. In fact, 14 runs in two games was particularly impressive for a team that has struggled to score with their biggest bats going silent.
These are all small victories for a team in need of a serious turnaround if they’re to overcome a Rangers team at the top of their game right now. After all, the Rangers have won six straight heading into Tuesday and are finally becoming relevant once again in the AL West.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Nick Martinez will be on the mound on Thursday as the Rangers look to kick off their series against the Red Sox with a win.
Martinez has been one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball. He doesn’t dominate hitters and is only striking out 4.9 per nine innings.
Despite that, what he is able to do is induce weak contact and in doing so, has thrived in the first couple months of 2015. After pitching to a 4.55 ERA in 2014, he is currently 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA and 1.218 WHIP through 55 innings of work.
The 24-year old right-hander has produced seven quality starts in his nine outings and is coming off a very solid seven innings of two run ball against the Yankees.
Despite that, he hasn’t been quite as dominant in May as he was in April. In April, he posted a 0.35 ERA in 26 innings and has a 3.41 ERA in 29 May innings.
On the other side, the Red Sox have not announced their rotation for the series in Texas, but are expected to go with Steven Wright who made the last two starts in that spot in the rotation.
Wright is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four outings, two starts, this season. The 30-year old right-hander brings a knuckleball to the mound with him, giving the Red Sox’s faithful memories of Tim Wakefield.
In his last outing, Wright lasted into the seventh, allowing just two runs.
QUOTE TO NOTE
After Wright’s last start, the opposing manager Mike Scioscia had this to say:
“Give him credit. We got to him early and he settled in and we didn’t get too many good looks at him.”
Not the highest of praise, but pretty good from a team with an ERA of 5.17 from their starting pitchers.
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Rangers got off to a very slow start in all facets of the game, but the team has recovered, particularly on offense where they rank fifth in all of baseball with 206 runs scored.
Prince Fielder is a huge part of the team’s offensive resurgence. After missing most of last season, Fielder’s power numbers were slow to come around, but his average was there from the beginning. On the year, Fielder leads the league with his .365 average and has added nine home runs and 35 RBIs in the heart of the order.
Adrian Beltre and Shin-Soo Choo are also starting to swing the bat better after slow starts and along with the likes of Mitch Moreland ( .895 OPS ) and rookie sparkplug Delino DeShields Jr.( .394 OBP and 11 steals ) gives the team some nice depth with versatility.
In the opposing clubhouse, the Red Sox have a very strong lineup if you look at individual stats. The team has six players with at least 100 plate appearances and an OPS+ at or above 102. What they do not have, however, is consistency. They also have a number of holes, namely at catcher and in the outfield.
In the month of May, Boston ranks last in all of baseball in runs scored while Texas ranks first. For Boston, the slump is a result of Hanley Ramirez ( .549 May OPS ), Pablo Sandoval ( .621 May OPS ) and David Ortiz ( .615 OPS in May ) all going ice cold.
PROP TALK
There is no history between these two starting pitchers and their opponents on Thursday. There is, however, recent history showing Mike Napoli is on fire. Over his last seven games, he is 11 for 25 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. In his last seven games, five of them have been multi-hit affairs. He also has a .901 OPS at home.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Rangers have scored 40 runs in their last four games and while that 10 runs a game average is sure to come down, the offense is clicking right now so it’s hard to imagine Steven Wright being the one to shut them down.
This is essentially the case of a team playing at the top of its game versus one that is struggling in every aspect. All in all, the only advantage the Sox have is in the bullpen and with Martinez pitching so well, I do not see that being a huge factor in this matchup.
Texas 7, Boston 3
BookMaker will be the first online sportsbook to send out the baseball odds for this marquee matchup. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers will take place Thursday, May 28, 2015, at 8:05 p.m. ET at Globe Life Park in Arlington. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
