Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox: Odds, Prediction
In the series opener Monday between two immovable objects, it was the Boston Red Sox who prevailed for a 14th straight win – tied for the second-longest in franchise history, sitting one behind the Ted Williams-led 1946 streak.
It was an epic, back-and-forth affair that came down to the final out. The Orioles struck first in the opening frame. Boston scored three unanswered. The Orioles then scored three unanswered to grab a 4-3 lead.
Boston responded by tying it up in the sixth. The Orioles added in the seventh, and Boston responded to tie the game at five. In the bottom of the eighth, Caleb Durbin struck with the go-ahead and game-winning home run.
Baltimore put men on second and third in the ninth, but Aroldis Chapman escaped with the save and the 6-5 win.
The Red Sox are -135 favourites to win on the MLB odds, with the total set at 8.5.
MLB Betting Odds and Trends
Prior to the win streak, Boston held the worst record in the American League and were 15.5 games behind in the division. They have outscored opponents 82-29 during this stretch and are now just six games back and officially hold the final wild card if the playoffs started today.
On the flip side, Baltimore’s seven-game win streak was snapped, and that had been just the fifth time since 1961 that two MLB teams faced off while both riding winning streaks of seven games or more.
We are expected to have clear skies and 22-degree weather at first pitch, and another solid starting pitching matchup is on deck.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles are still in the bottom half of baseball hitting on the road and against left-handed pitching, but its new addition Christian Encarnacion-Strand and the power-hitting Tyler O’Neil from the right side of the plate that have been cooking for the Orioles since the All-Star break.
Each of them tallied two hits and two RBIs in Monday’s loss, and they will look to do more damage against southpaw Ranger Suarez. Coby Mayo has also boasted an .896 OPS in July, and he is 2-for-3 lifetime with a home run against Suarez.
Pete Alonso has historically struggled vs. Suarez, going 3-for-21 with seven strikeouts. The Orioles as a team are hitting just .226 vs. Suarez in 53 at-bats.
The Orioles remain without their top two catchers, Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo, and while Basallo could be activated Tuesday, it’s unlikely they will have him return against a tough left-hander, considering he bats from the left side.
The O’s only used three pitchers Monday, so the bullpen should be pretty rested.
Kyle Bradish gets the start, who has been awesome through two July starts, pitching to a 2.51 ERA across 14.1 innings. The Red Sox are 10-for-39 against him lifetime with four home runs and a .956 OPS.
Boston Red Sox
Suarez has been activated from the Injured List, which is great news considering this big offseason addition has put together a 3.15 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 97 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. His last start, against the right-handed, heavy-hitting Angels on July 5, was a rough one, but he lines up well here with this Orioles roster.
Since the break, Boston has seven hitters boasting an OPS north of .880, including five of whom with an OPS north of 1.423. Wilyer Abreu has four home runs already since the break, Andruw Monasterio has three doubles in six at-bats and Willson Contreras has a double and two home runs.
Contreras, an All-Star, leads the team with a .289 AVG, 22 HR and a .941 OPS, and has been excellent against Bradish in a limited sample, racking up two home runs, three RBIs and two walks in four at-bats. Jarren Duran and Connor Wong have also taken Bradish deep.
MLB Prediction: Who Will Win Orioles vs. Red Sox?
Again, I can’t go against this Red Sox magic until they lose. I trust Suarez. I trust this smoking hot Red Sox lineup, and especially Contreras in this matchup with Bradish. Like the opener, I think this game could go over the run total, but I am more confident in the Red Sox extending this historic streak to 15.
Best Bet: Red Sox moneyline (-135)
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