RED SOX (Price) at BLUE JAYS (Dickey)
Take: RED SOX -135
So I’ll get the bad stuff out of the way at the top. The Red Sox have lost three straight. Toronto has suddenly won four in a row. Boston will have to figure out what to do if there’s a save situation, as I would be shocked if Craig Kimbrel is available here. The Red Sox closer threw a career high number of pitches on Saturday and I doubt he’ll even be considered for action today.
I’m not huge on backing pitchers simply based on career ledgers vs. an opponent. It’s small sample stuff for the most part and can frequently be dismissed as extraneous info. But in the case of David Price vs. the Blue Jays, there’s just no way to avoid it. Price is now an amazing 17-2 lifetime against Toronto. That includes 11-1 at this site.
Beyond those numbers, Price is also in better form than RA Dickey, his mound adversary today. Dickey has been reasonably effective for the most part, but he is having long ball issues and he has also been knocked around twice by Boston already this season.
Normally. I won’t consider laying a price on the road with a team on a losing streak when facing a team on a winning streak. There has to be something extraordinary in play for that to take place. That’s where those Price numbers take over. Beyond that, the Red Sox were an unhappy bunch after the Saturday fiasco, as they felt they gave the game away. They’re right about that. Christian Vazquez makes a reality bad throw, Travis Ford does the same, Hanley Ramirez can’t catch a ball I think he still has to catch. That’s how a team loses a game they should have won.
This one is square to be sure, as I’m sure not the only one who knows Price is 17-2 against the Blue Jays. But this is where aces are supposed to step up and be stoppers, so I’ll give Price some backing today and will go with the Red Sox to salvage the series finale.
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