RAYS (Ramirez) @ RED SOX (Rodriguez)
Take: RAYS +110
Break up the Red Sox! The downtrodden Bosox had a great game for a change on Thursday night as they blew up Chris Sale and ended the lengthy White Sox winning streak. The bad news for the Red Sox is that they’ve had a terrible time putting any extended periods of good play together, and I expect that unfortunate trend to be maintained this evening.
There’s not a great deal to choose in the pitching matchup. I think Eduardo Rodriguez is going to have a very solid big league career and I don’t see much doubt he’s more talented than Erasmo Ramirez. But we’re talking present and not future as far as this game is concerned. Along those lines, the Rays righty has roughly the same overall 2015 numbers as Rodriguez and Ramirez has the better current form chart.
It’s not like the Rays are on a roll, but the team data clearly favors the Tampa Bay side tonight. The Red Sox have been mostly awful and winning more than one in a row has been very difficult. The Rays have been enjoying quite a bit of success when lining up against lefty starters, capturing 12 of their last 14 in that scenario. As for Ramirez, he’s been a road warrior, with the Rays winning each of his last six away starts.
If you’ve been watching the Red Sox, they’re showing all the telltale signs of a veteran team that knows it’s out of contention. If they can stay in the game early, no problem. But when Boston falls behind early, it seems as the focus wanes rapidly, and that’s been leading to some lopsided losses. In other words, be forewarned any time you’re apt to bet the Red Sox as the lack of motivation is showing up on too many nights.
With the pitching being a coin flip, I’m paying attention to the team info and that points me to the Tampa Bay side. Getting any plus money with the Rays makes them a definite consideration tonight.
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