Suddenly, the postseason hopes of the Boston Red Sox are in real jeopardy. Boston led the AL East for a good chunk of the year, but the Red Sox have struggled since the All-Star Break and have since fallen behind both the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. Coming into their series with the Cleveland Indians, the Red Sox are just ahead of the Oakland Athletics for the final Wild Card Spot in the American League. They are in need of a strong performance this week, as the AL East title is looking further and further out of reach.
First pitch for the game between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox is scheduled for Saturday, August 28, 2021, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Progressive Field. The matchup will be shown on FS1.
Odds Analysis
As of Thursday morning, Cleveland is 62-62. The soon-to-be Guardians are 33-28 at home and 29-34 on the road. The Indians are 67-56-1 ATS, and the over has cashed nine times more than the under.
Boston is 72-56. The Red Sox are 40-26 at home, but they are a slightly above average 32-30 on the road this season. They are just two games above .500 in terms of ATS betting, but the under is 34-24-4 in road games for Boston.
Cleveland has done a good job of remaining competitive after much of the talent was traded away in the offseason and before the trade deadline. The Indians have the lowest payroll in baseball, but they could still win 85 games and put pressure on the Chicago White Sox if they go on a run.
The hitting hasn’t been good for this team outside of Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes. Ramirez is the best slugger on Cleveland, leading the team with 29 home runs, 79 RBI, and an .880 OPS. His 4.5 Offensive WAR is easily the highest on the Indians too.
As for Reyes, he has hit 23 dingers while posting an .849 OPS as the team’s designated hitter. It would be remiss not to mention Amed Rosario as well, since he has been flirting with a .300 batting average for much of the season.
The Red Sox have one of the best lineups in the game. Only Houston and Toronto definitely have a better 1-9 when everyone is healthy, but those bats have gone silent in recent weeks. While five Boston players have an OPS of .810 or more, this team’s run production has fallen off.
J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers, and Xander Bogaerts are the three best hitters in the lineup. Martinez has 23 home runs to go with an .868 OPS, while both Devers and Bogaerts have been a little better despite playing the field too. Devers leads Boston with 29 home runs and 91 RBI, while Bogaerts leads the team with a .302 batting average and a .371 on-base percentage.
Probable Pitchers
Cal Quantrill is expected to take the bump for Cleveland. Quantrill began this season as a reliever, but he has done well enough as a starter that he currently leads the team in innings pitched. He has a 4-2 record with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 2021.
Nathan Eovaldi will step to the mound for Boston. Eovaldi is currently 10-8 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP this season. He was electric in his start against Texas on Monday, and Eovaldi has three straight quality starts.
Cleveland Indians vs Boston Red Sox Prediction
While Boston needs this game more, don’t be surprised if Cleveland gets the win. The Red Sox are 3-13 on the road since the All-Star Break.
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