Series Preview and Pregame Analysis: Boston Red Sox vs Cincinnati Reds
Historically, Boston has had a lot of success against Cincinnati. Thursday’s contest will feature Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18) and the Reds taking on Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72) and the Red Sox. Greene’s most recent contest was an impressive 11-strikeout effort in six shutout innings in a 9-0 win, which broke a streak of four straight losses for the 23-year-old righty. He tallied back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances. Meanwhile, Chris Sale will look to continue his recent success on the mound:
Just checking in on Chris Sale’s numbers over his last 7 starts:
7 Starts – 43.1 IP
2.91 ERA/2.90 FIP
9.6 K/9
1.5 BB/9
0.6 HR/9
0.90 WHIPHe’s shutting so many people up and I absolutely love it. pic.twitter.com/2cHAqn7DVw
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) May 27, 2023
At the plate, the Red Sox’s offense began the season strong, and Boston continues to mash at the plate, especially at home. Only the Texas Rangers are currently better as a home offense. As the leader of the Red Sox offense, Rafael Devers is looking to step up his game. Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida — who homered on Wednesday — and Jarren Duran are currently better in terms of offensive wins above replacement. Devers has been able to enter the franchise record books though:
Rafael Devers is the 35th player to record 500 RBI for the Red Sox.
At 26 years and 218 days old, Devers is the 4th-youngest player to reach that mark with the Red Sox, behind only Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, and Jim Rice.
— J.P. Long (@SoxNotes) May 31, 2023
All lines and odds courtesy of BetMGM.
Betting Info for Boston Red Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds
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Moneyline: Boston Red Sox (-165)
Cincinnati Reds (+140)
Spread: Boston Red Sox -1.5 (+115)
Cincinnati Reds +1.5 (-140)
Total: Over 9 (-115)
Under 9 (-105)
Picks and Predictions for the Boston Red Sox vs Cincinnati Reds
Boston Red Sox ML (-165)
Boston has looked stronger over the last few weeks, but it will come down to if Sale can outduel Greene. Most likely, this game will feature the best starting pitching performances of the series, and for these two struggling pitching staffs, it will hopefully present a reprieve for the bullpens. Sale has been brilliant recently while Greene has been spotty.
The Reds’ middle-of-the-pack offense has the potential to explode as it did earlier in the series at Fenway Park, but this game should be more of the norm for Sale against a Reds offense that has not been consistent on the road. Although Boston is a heavy favorite, it is a good choice to take the Red Sox to salvage the last game of the three-game series against the Reds.
Final Game Prediction, Boston Red Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds
Boston Red Sox ML (-165)
