After a disastrous weekend, the Boston Red Sox will try to get back on track Monday night when they host the Cleveland Guardians. The Red Sox are nominal favorites at home, with both teams having a moneyline of -110. The game also has an over/under of 9.5 runs.
The Red Sox lost 10 of their last 13 games heading into the all-star break and picked up where they left off over the weekend, getting swept by the Blue Jays. Boston was outscored 40-10 in those three losses to Toronto. With their recent struggles, the Red Sox have fallen back down to .500 and are three games back in the Wild Card standings.
The Guardians are also looking for some positive momentum after splitting a four-game series with the White Sox over the weekend. But dating back before the all-star break, Cleveland has won five of seven to climb two games over .500. That puts the Guardians three games out in the AL Central and two games back in the Wild Card race.
Aiming to Please
Zach Plesac will get the start on Monday as he looks to turn his season around after the all-star break. In his first 17 starts, he’s just 2-7 with a 4.02 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.
After showing signs of improvement in June, Plesac has taken a step back in June, posting a 4.91 ERA over three starts and failing to get out of the fourth inning in his last start before the break.
On the bright side, the Cleveland lineup has heated up a little bit in July. The Guardians have scored at least four runs in six of their last seven games, averaging six runs per game during that stretch.
Jose Ramirez has helped to carry the Cleveland lineup all season, although Amed Rosario, Andres Jimenez, and Steven Kwan have all taken it to another level in July to finally give Ramirez some help.
In the Nick of Time
Nick Pivetta will get the ball on Monday night with the hope of snapping Boston’s losing streak. In his first 19 starts of the season, Pivetta is 8-7 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.
However, the month of July has been a disaster for him, as he’s allowed 20 runs on 23 hits over just 13.1 innings, although two of his three starts this month have come against the Yankees.
With Boston’s pitching staff struggling, the Red Sox have also struggled to score runs, especially with Trevor Story and Rafael Devers on the IL. Dating back before the all-star break, the Red Sox have scored just 2.8 runs per game over their last nine games.
Xander Bogaerts is doing his best to carry the Red Sox, but J.D. Martinez has struggled in July, while the bottom half of the Boston lineup has largely been a non-factor during the team’s recent cold streak.
Freezing Cold
The Red Sox aren’t going to stay this bad forever, but their dreadful month of July makes it hard to trust them. The lineup is struggling, and Pivetta starting doesn’t inspire confidence either. Bet on the Guardians to take advantage of Boston’s plight and win on Monday.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.