Dropping two of three to the White Sox wasn’t exactly a surprise, but it made for a frustrating Red Sox weekend nonetheless.
After Chris Sale’s COVID IL stint was announced ahead of the weekend and more positive tests popped up throughout, the whole series had a dark shadow hanging over it.
But as I said coming into the series, the two pairs of Sox (see what I did there?) weren’t as different as their respective spots in their division made them seem. Both pairs (again, sorry) had 80 wins coming into the weekend, but Chicago was comfortable atop the AL Central, while Boston is clawing for a Wild Card spot after completely falling apart in August.
After this series, the Sox are tied with the hotter-than-hot Blue Jays for the first Wild Card, and only one game ahead of the floundering Yankees.
The biggest takeaway from this series is that each of the games was decided by exactly one run. The good news there is that the Red were going toe-to-toe with the White, and were able to hold a one-run lead to win on Saturday; the bad news is that in the other two games, a run to tie and two to win was apparently insurmountable.
This week, the Sox are up in the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Mariners, who are also vying for the Wild Card, so pour yourself a massive cup of coffee and prepare for some late nights.
What Time is the Red Sox Game Today?
First pitch today is scheduled for 10:10 PM EST.
Wynn doesn’t have odds on me staying awake for the entire game, but I can tell you they’re not great.
What Channel is the Red Sox Game on Today?
Today’s Red Sox game is available on NESN, Root Sports Northwest, and MLB.TV (blackout restrictions may apply).
Red Sox vs Mariners Odds Today
The Red Sox are favored ever so slightly on the moneyline tonight at -120 (bet $120 to win $100), while the Mariners are an even +100 (bet $100 to win $100).
The spread has Boston -1.5 at +130 (bet $100 to win $130) and Seattle +1.5 at -150 (bet $150 to win $100).
If you prefer to bet big on runs, the over/under tonight is 8. The over is -105 (bet $105 to win $100) and the under is -115 (bet $115 to win $100).
Red Sox Pitcher Today: Eduardo Rodriguez
Eduardo Rodriguez has been hot and cold all season, to the tune of an overall 5.15 ERA.
But since the beginning of August, he’s been largely improved, to the tune of a 3.93 ERA over 36 2/3 innings, with 38 strikeouts, 11 walks, and 16 earned runs. Six of those earned runs came in his last start, a 3 2/3 inning dud against Tampa Bay. But three of his seven starts dating back to August 4 have been scoreless, and he’s gone five or more innings in five of those seven.
Eddie faced the Mariners early in the season on April 25, and it was his first seven-inning game of the year. He allowed three earned runs on six hits, but struck out eight, didn’t issue a walk, and the Sox won 5-3. He has only pitched seven full innings once since, against Cleveland at the end of August.
ERod has pitched against the Mariners eight times throughout his career, and has a 3.72 ERA against them. He’s issued 14 walks and struck out 45 batters over 46 innings, and their lineups slash .251/.312/.404 with a .716 OPS against him.
Red Sox Starting Lineup
Check back later for today’s lineup!
Red Sox vs Mariners Prediction Today
Something weird from Mahoney: the Mariners are the only team in the entire American League with a negative run differential and a winning record. They also lead MLB with 30 victories in one-run games, which doesn’t bode well for the Red sox after their weekend in Chicago.
The way ERod is pitching, I think he’ll have another bounce-back start and the Sox will open this series with a win, but in yet another close game.
Red Sox vs Mariners Live Stream
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