Red Sox vs Orioles MLB | Boston Can’t Afford Loss

mybookie App Download App

Rather amazingly, the Boston Red Sox have never been an AL wild-card team. That’s their only route to the playoffs this year, though, and the Sox do control their destiny to make it. They are heavy favorites on the MLB odds for Tuesday’s series opener at awful Baltimore.

How to Bet Red Sox at Orioles MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Tuesday, 7:05 PM ET
Where: Camden Yards
Probable pitchers (away/home): Chris Sale/Bruce Zimmermann
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Red Sox -255, Orioles +230 (total 9.5 runs)

Why Bet on Boston?

The Red Sox currently hold down the second AL wild-card spot, one game behind the rival Yankees for the right to host that game. Home teams are 7-9 in Wild Card Games (4-4 in the AL, 3-5 in the NL). An AL East team has won 6 of the 8 AL Wild Card Games, including each of the last 4 (2016-TOR, 2017-NYY, 2018-NYY, 2019-TB).

The Sox were swept at home over the weekend by New York. On Sunday, Boston put lefty Josh Taylor on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 23, with a low back strain. That will cost Taylor the remainder of the regular season. The 28-year-old owns a 3.40 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 60/23 K/BB ratio across 47 2/3 innings in 61 appearances.

Catcher Kevin Plawecki had X-rays on his foot come back negative after being hit by a pitch during Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Yankees. Plawecki delivered a productive performance by going 2-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk before being hit by a pitch during the ninth inning, prompting his exit.

Third baseman Rafael Devers has become the third player in franchise history to hit at least 35 homers before turning 25 years old. The others to do it were Hall of Famers Jim Rice (39 in 1977) and Ted Williams (37 in 1941; 36 in 1942). Devers leads MLB with 10 three-run homers. No other AL player has more than seven.

It’s lefty ace Chris Sale on the mound here. Sale (5-0, 2.57) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over five innings, picking up the win in last Wednesday’s 12-5 victory over the Mets. Sale was staked to a sizeable lead early and cruised. He matched his season high with eight strikeouts. Sale has not allowed more than two earned runs in any single outing this season.

Sale made his 2021 debut on Aug. 14 vs. Baltimore, 732 days after his most recent MLB outing (8/13/19) and 502 days after his Tommy John surgery (3/30/20). He leads active AL pitchers (min 1,000.0 IP) in ERA (3.02), opponent AVG (.219), SO% (30.6%), and WHIP (1.04).

Why Bet on Baltimore?

Either the Orioles or Diamondbacks will finish with the worst record in the majors this year and earn the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft. The Orioles have not won a series at Oriole Park since 8/24-26 vs. the Angels. They must win of their next three home games to surpass their lowest home wins in franchise history (25, 2019).

Baltimore comes off a 7-4 home loss to Texas on Sunday. Anthony Santander has missed time recently due to injury, he hit a game-tying two-run shot to right-center field off righty Dane Dunning in the fourth inning. It was his lone hit in four at-bats and his 18th round-tripper of the season. Four of his past six homers have come with runners on base, after 10 of his first 12 home runs this season were solo shots.

The 26-year-old slugger owns a .241/.286/.433 triple-slash line with 54 runs scored, 18 homers, 50 RBI and one stolen base across 438 plate appearances this season. Santander did leave Sunday’s game late with leg discomfort. The Orioles have little reason to risk aggravating anything at this stage in the season.

Fellow outfielder Cedric Mullins was out of the Orioles lineup on Sunday. Mullins has missed the two games since reaching the 30/30 plateau with hamstring soreness. Mullins is batting .300/.370/.536 with 30 home runs, 59 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. He’s day-to-day. Mullins is the first player in the majors with a 30/30 season since Christian Yelich and Ronald Acuña, Jr. in 2019 and first in the AL since Mookie Betts and José Ramírez in 2018.

It’s Bruce Zimmermann (4-4, 4.83) on the mound here. The left-hander has been sidelined since the middle of June due to biceps tendinitis and then a severe ankle sprain but will be activated. Zimmermann pitched four innings in a rehab start over the weekend and allowed two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

Zimmermann made two early-season starts vs. Boston and was 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA.