The Boston Red Sox (21-26 SU, -9.57 Units) have failed to score in the first inning of nine straight and 13 out of 14 games.
That's just one of the reasons that it might be beneficial to bet against them early on in live betting against the Texas Rangers (23-24 SU, +7.14 Units) on Saturday.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Chi Chi Gonzalez is likely to get a spot start here for the Rangers in what will be the first big league outing of his career. That first inning is crucial for any youngster, as this is where trouble usually occurs, and you can bet that many are going to be lining up to bet against him early on.
Rodriguez hasn't even been that good at Triple-A Round Rock this year, though this is a man who last season posted a 2.67 ERA in the lower levels of the minors.
The righty only has 26 strikeouts against 19 walks at the Triple-A level, and that just isn't good enough going into this game.
Wade Miley, Boston's scheduled starter on Saturday, isn't quite as concerning as Gonzalez, but we don't really trust him and his 4-4 record either. He is allowing far too many fly balls (66.2 percent), and here in Arlington, that could be problematic.
Still, there's no denying that Miley has been a much better pitcher in May than he was in April, and the fact that he has won his last three starts and has pitched an average of 7.1 innings in that stretch is indicative of that.
ADVANCED STATS
We spoke about this a while ago in regards to the Red Sox, but we haven't address it in a while. Clearly, this team shouldn't have the worst BABIP in the bigs, but that remains the case. Still, Boston has regulated itself just a bit up to .266 as a team, but there is better on the horizon on top of that. The team isn't going to have a -26.0 offensive rating per FanGraphs this entire season, and it should be noted that a man who pitches to contact like Gonzalez making his first big league start could be in a heck of a lot of trouble as a result.
TALKING BULLPENS
We just don't see a way that Gonzalez gets himself out of the fifth inning of this game, so we have to really look closely at the long relievers for the Rangers.
Anthony Bass is likely to play a key role in this one. He is more or less the designated long reliever for the Rangers, and his 4.35 ERA is only merely average.
However, the Red Sox could struggle with Bass just a bit. He is a good ground ball pitcher out of the bullpen, and though he doesn't have overwhelming stuff in terms of the strikeout, he can most definitely keep the ball in play.
Bass though, has been ridiculously unlucky in terms of his home runs allowed this season. He has allowed four home runs already this year, marking a whopping 15.5 percent of his fly balls allowed resulted in homers, and that just isn't sustainable.
Sure, it wouldn't be surprising to see a guy like David Ortiz put a jolt into a baseball, but for live betting purposes, there is a lot better chance of that happening when Gonzalez is on the mound than when Bass comes out of the pen.
The MLB lines for this Saturday contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
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 pitting the Boston Red Sox versus the Texas Rangers will commence Saturday, May 30, 2015 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Globe Life Park in Arlington, TX. You can watch the contest live on FOX.
