In what is a Boston tradition, the Boston Red Sow will host an early morning game with a 11:05 a.m. ET first pitch on Patriots’ Day. The Baltimore Orioles are the opponent this season. The last time these two teams met on Patriots’ Day, the Red Sox won 7-1 in 2015. This time around, the Orioles will look for different results as the Birds send Andrew Cashner to the hill against what will likely be David Price making the start for the Sox.
First pitch for the game between the Orioles and Red Sox is scheduled for Monday, April 16, 2018, at 11:05 a.m. ET at Fenway Park. The matchup will be shown on MLB Network.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
Odds Analysis
The Red Sox’s bats are averaging just shy of six runs a game. Meanwhile, the Orioles have come close to being no-hit on multiple occasions.
There’s no question Boston is swinging better right now. They’re seeing the ball well—at least for the most part—and the Sox have been able to get solid production from several different hitters.
That said, Xander Bogaerts was off to the hottest start, but is now on the disabled list.
Last year, Boston had some trouble getting the power it needed to really bring this offense together. The addition of J.D. Martinez in the middle of the order gives Boston the big thumper they lost with the retirement of David Ortiz.
On the Orioles’ side, they have Manny Machado and Chance Sisco each batting over .300, but the rest of the team has struggled making contact. The O’s have struck out 142 times as a team, well above any other team in baseball.
Chris Davis has been lost at the plate all season. He had a couple hits on Wednesday, but is still hitting just .122. He’s one of three regulars batting below the Mendoza Line.
The bats looked a bit better in the last game, but overall the Orioles’ offense is way too dependent on the long ball coming from a collection of batters who are way too likely to strikeout.
Twice in the Blue Jays’ series, the O’s had bases loaded with nobody out and came up empty.
Probable Pitchers
Andrew Cashner takes the hill for the Orioles in this early morning showdown.
Cashner has been solid for the Birds after a rough first start and looks for his third straight quality start on Monday.
In his season opener, the Twins roughed Cashner up for five runs in five innings, but since then, he’s thrown 13 innings of one-run ball. In that time, he’s allowed six hits though he also walked six. That second number is a bit high.
Perhaps the most interesting number from his last two starts are his strikeout totals. In those 13 innings, Cashner has struck out 11 batters. In 2017, he averaged just 4.6 strikeouts per nine innings. That total was well below his 7.0 career average.
Cashner seems to be striking out a few more batters here early in 2017, but he’s keeping the ball down to induce weak groundball outs whenever possible. He pitches to contact often and that can lead to issues if he doesn’t get the ball down. He’s already allowed four home runs and will need to be better at limited the long ball to find success this year in the friendly confines of Oriole Park.
In his career, Cashner has faced the Red Sox only twice, allowing seven runs—five earned—in 12 innings.
For the Sox, David Price will be on rotation to make the start on Monday though he’s yet to be officially announced.
Price has had a rough start to his Red Sox career, but is still an ace-level pitcher and is on a mission to win back the hearts of Red Sox fans.
Price is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA through his first three starts, but has averaged only five innings a start and has a much lower strikeout rate thus far in 2018 than he’s had any other year in his career.
The veteran southpaw has been good, but sustainability is a factor. The limited innings is by design, but it does open the need for extra relievers and with each reliever used, you have the chance someone will have an off night.
In his career against the Orioles, Price is 12-5 with a 2.81 ERA in 25 starts.
Live Betting
Buck Showalter managed teams typically have well managed bullpens, but the Orioles’ pen here in 2018 may be its weakest over the last several years—at least that’s the case until Zach Britton is back in the fold.
Brad Brach has three saves now, but he blew the save on opening day and hasn’t exactly produced clean innings in his appearances.
Supporting him, Darren O’Day and Richard Bleier are throwing well, but Miguel Castro and Mychal Givens haven’t clicked in.
The O’s pen has other added complications including overworking. They had two extra-inning games over the weekend, including one that the starter lasted just two-thirds of an innings.
The pen’s been exhausted and the O’s have been yo-yoing players up from the minors to give them options. They’ve already DFA’ed a Rule-5 pick in Nestor Cortes and are carrying one more in Pedro Araujo.
Given the success of the Boston rotation, the Sox bullpen has been much less drained. Craig Kimbrel is far more lights out in the ninth than Brach, too.
MLB Pick
The Red Sox are rolling, are playing at home, and have the whole of the city of Boston behind them in this one.
Boston has a patient bunch of hitters and deep lineup able to beat you in multiple ways while the Orioles offense is heavily dependent on the long ball that hasn’t been flying in the cooler weather so far this spring.
Look for the Sox to get a couple runs against Cashner and then add on against a bullpen that’s yet to find its collective footing in route to a win over the inconsistent Orioles.
MLB Odds: Red Sox 6, Orioles 4
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today!
