Analysis:1* Take Boston - LA Angels OVER (#909-910).
We’ve got two hot hitting lineups, two suspect starters and
a pair of overworked bullpens as the Red Sox and Angels square off at Fenway
tonight. That sets the stage for what
should be a relatively high scoring ballgame.
Angels starter CJ Wilson has been nothing short of awful for
the last three months, allowing 43 runs in his last 53 innings of work dating
back to the beginning of June. His walks
are up, his strikeouts are down and opponents are hitting well over .300 against
him during this span. Wilson has only
one quality start in his last seven trips to the hill. Key Red Sox bats Yoenis Cespedes and Dustin
Pedroia are a combined 15-36 against him in their careers, a .417 batting
average. It’s surely worth noting that
Wilson’s splits show that he’s been at his worst on the road and at night.
Red Sox starter Brandon Workman missed his last scheduled
start due to ‘fatigue’ issues; not surprising for a converted reliever forced
to pitch starters innings for the first time in his career. He’s allowed four runs or more in each of his
last five starts, and he’s out of his normal rhythm following a bullpen
appearance against these same Angels in his last outing; an appearance in which
Workman didn’t record an out and took the loss in a 19 inning marathon thanks
to an Albert Pujols home run.
Both bullpens are shot.
The Angels two best bullpen arms -- Joe Smith in the eighth inning and
Huston Street in the ninth – are both unavailable today after pitching in each
of their last three ballgames. That leaves
a major void, especially considering that Wilson hasn’t finished the seventh
inning of any game in the last two months.
Meanwhile, Boston’s pen has been in action for ten innings over the past
two days thanks to short stints from each of their last two starters; a real
potential problem area this evening.
The Red Sox have pounded out 23 runs on the first four games
of this homestand (3-1 to the Over); an underachieving lineup finally showing
signs of life. Despite playing in a
stadium that depresses scoring, the LA Angels rank third in the majors in runs
scored this year and fourth in OPS; a lineup that is capable of getting up and
over the total by themselves on any given evening. Expect fireworks! Take the
Over.
Pick Made: Aug 18 2014 8:51AM PST