Despite being above .500, the Red Sox are in last place in the crowded AL East.
The team will hope to improve its standing in interleague play against the Miami Marlins. Miami took a series victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday and is 45-34 even with their Cy Young Award winner from last year struggling.
Sandy Alcantara has been a mess this season with a 2-6 record and 5.08 ERA in 16 starts. He will take the mound today against Garrett Whitlock and the Red Sox. Whitlock is 4-2 in eight starts with a 4.50 ERA. Despite its recent struggles, Boston is the favorite at Fenway Park tonight.
Here are the odds for the series opener.
Marlins vs. Red Sox odds, run line and total
Marlins vs. Red Sox prediction and pick
Over the past week, the Red Sox haven’t been struggling because of pitching, which has been the issue for much of the season. Right now it’s their bats that have gone cold. In the past seven days they have a .526 OPS which is somehow better than the last place Pirates, but not better than any other team in the league. They have 58 strikeouts to 11 walks over that stretch, are hitting .185 and are only slugging .280.
At least in Boston’s 4-1 loss on Sunday, Adam Duvall had two hits, but over that weeklong stretch he is 3-for-20. There is a chance that he is turning things around, but it’ll take more than just Duvall to solve their offensive woes right now. Maybe, Alex Verdugo coming back from the bereavement list on top of Duvall finding a groove will be, but I’m looking to fade Boston’s bats.
Sandy Alcantara is just straight up bad now. His changeup does not work anymore and his strikeout rate has plummeted. In the month of June he has made four starts and he’s allowed five runs exactly in three of them. However, the total still came in under nine runs in two of those games and I think that is the play today with how Boston is swinging it.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change