Ortiz, BoSox to blast off in Kansas City?
From Jackie Bradley Jr.’s 21-game hitting streak to the triumphant farewell tour of David Ortiz, the Red Sox have no shortage of positives to which to point. And AL East rivals are all too aware of as much.
Boston hopes to carry its recent dominance outside of the division in tonight’s series opener vs. Kansas City, with an 8:15 p.m. ET first pitch at Kauffman Stadium. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv lean toward John Farrell’s club here, whereas the Royals represent +123 underdogs. The over/under total sits at seven runs.
Yesterday’s meeting between the two squads was postponed due to rain, meaning the Red Sox literally couldn’t club their way to an eighth triumph in nine games. Boston just finished a ridiculously successful homestand, outscoring foes 73-37 while batting .369 collectively. Not surprisingly, Bradley and Ortiz spearheaded the attack. The 26-year-old outfielder is hitting .402 with a .768 slugging percentage and 26 RBIs in his past 21 affairs. As for the retiring Ortiz, he’s rarely looked better. Big Papi boasts seven homers, 11 doubles and 23 RBIs since April 22.
Basically, this presents a nightmare scenario for Kansas City’s sketchy arms. While Yordano Ventura (3-2, 4.62 ERA) put together a respectable performance vs. the Yankees a week ago, the Royals’ rotation totes a 5.13 ERA in the past 12 tilts. Even the previously invincible bullpen has weathered a few blows of late.
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The Red Sox are looking to register 10-plus base knocks in eight straight contests. Ventura’s unpredictability makes that a distinct possibility, but will Rick Porcello (6-1, 3.11) be able to rectify his past transgressions in the Midwest? The righty last defeated Kansas City on July 12, 2014.
We’re counting on a representative outing, at least. The Royals simply look like a shell of their former selves, and no amount of heroics from Lorenzo Cain (.361 average in May) can mask that reality at present. Boston stays strong here.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: RED SOX/ROYALS OVER 7 RUNS
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