MLB Baseball Odds: Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Monday, April 11, 2011
by Bodog Sportsbook
The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are both off to miserable starts this season. The American League East rivals will get a chance to right the ship when they face off in a three-game series in this week’s MLB Baseball Odds.
Boston opened the season as the favorite in the American League, but the Red Sox have been anything but dominant. Their lineup was supposed to be brilliant, but the Sox have already suffered three games in which they’ve scored just a single run or less. The pitching was a little unsure but had plenty of upside, but Boston hasn’t delivered on that part of the bargain either.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, and John Lackey are expected to face the Rays. Dice-K (0-1, 5.40 ERA) was solid if unspectacular in his first start of the season, allowing three runs through five innings. The Red Sox would certainly like him to go a little deeper in the game than that.
Lester (0-0, 3.65 ERA) is still searching for his first decision of the season; the Cy Young candidate was lit up in the season opener, but he bounced back with seven shutout innings last week—only Boston lost the game 1-0. Lackey (1-1, 15.58 ERA) has been a disaster, giving up nine and six runs in two starts this season.
The Rays were shocked this week to learn Manny Ramirez was retiring, leaving an already thin lineup—especially with Evan Longoria injured—in even worse shape.
On the mound, Tampa is expected to go with Jeremy Hellickson, David Price, and James Shields. Hellickson (0-1, 4.76 ERA) has a lot of upside, which was on full display in his first start of the year; though he allowed three runs through 5.2 innings, “Hellboy” also struck out 10 batters.
Price (0-2, 4.85 ERA) is off to a sluggish start, but he’s a true ace and should bounce back in no time. Shields (0-1, 4.73 ERA) was disappointing last week after a fine start in his first game of the year; he was battered around for five runs through six innings against the White Sox in his last outing.
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boston red sox - cy young - daisuke matsuzaka - david price - evan longoria - james shields - jeremy hellickson - john lackey - jon lester - manny ramirez
