It would be a shame if you did not take advantage of my Top of the Ticket Play for Tuesday night. It is the biggest value play on the board featuring a PURE MOMENTUM MISMATCH, both at the plate and on the mound. These opportunities do not come along often. Take advantage with this bankroll builder! I believe that we will win. Meet me in the winner’s circle.
2* Minnesota Twins (Pelfrey) at Boston Red Sox (Buchholz) 7:10 ET
Minnesota travels to Boston following a 5-1 home stand in which they swept these Red Sox by a combined score of 15-7 at the start of last week. The Red Sox’ slide continues as they return home from a 7-game road trip in which they went 1-6. Clearly, these teams are headed opposite directions, providing us with huge value at this underdog price.
At 22-29, the Red Sox can be considered as one of MLB’s biggest underachieving teams. This peripatetic team has gone from 69 wins in 2012 to 97 wins in 2013 to 71 wins in 2014. With the addition of Ramirez and Sandoval to compliment the expectations of the starting staff, the Red Sox were projected with a winning record and division crown. The slide is for real with a. 685 batting OPS and .744 pitching OPS. That is a combined 59 points below the league average with only the White Sox having worse numbers in the American League. Boston has now lost 19 of 29 recent games, including 3 straight at Texas this weekend when they allowed a 3-2 9th inning lead on Sunday to evaporate into a 4-3 defeat. I am well aware that today’s Boston starter, Buchholz, is on a solid roll lasting 7 1/3 IP or more in each of his previous 3 starts for a 1.99 ERA. That includes allowing a pair of runs against Minnesota, and today’s starter Pelfrey, in a 2-1 Minnesota victory last Tuesday. But for the season, the Red Sox are just 2-8 in Buchholz starts, in which he has a 2-6 record and 4.33 ERA. Results from this mound have been even more disastrous. In 4 home starts, Buchholz has worked 22 1/3 IP with a 5.24 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and a .337 BAA.
The Minnesota Twins have been this year’s over-achiever! After seasons in which the Twins had wins of 66, 66, and 70 wins, they were again projected to finish last in the AL Central. Those predictions seemed accurate when Minnesota began the year 9-12. Since that time, however, the Twins have gone 20-7, including 9-4 on the road of late. Minnesota has won 7 of 9 starts by Pelfrey, who is 4-1 with a 2.77 ERA. In his most recent 7 starts, Pelfrey has allowed 2 or fewer runs and worked 6 or more innings in 5 of the 7. The recent streak by the Twins has now lifted them into 1st place in the Central Division WITH THE BEST RECORD IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE.