Will Ortiz-less Red Sox still best Orioles?
Even when the Red Sox are missing their most dangerous slugger, the club finds a way to prevail. Does that same rule apply vs. the AL East’s second-best squad, though?
Boston visits Baltimore in this afternoon’s series opener, with a 1:35 p.m. ET first pitch at Camden Yards. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv like John Farrell’s troops as 1.5-run favorites. The O’s, conversely, enter as +113 underdogs. As for the over/under figure, it rests at nine runs.
While matters looked tenuous for a considerable period of time, the division leaders snagged yesterday’s finale from Toronto in extra innings. David Ortiz, however, was scratched from the 5-3 victory because of a sore left foot. He may not see the Orioles’ Tyler Wilson (2-3, 3.80 ERA) in several hours either, as Farrell wants to exercise caution with his 40-year-old cleanup hitter.
If Ortiz sits again, the baton falls to Dustin Pedroia and a host of others to protect a one-game edge at present. The veteran second baseman boasts a .308 batting average that has been somewhat overshadowed by Ortiz’s age-defying heroics, to say nothing of outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.’s breakout campaign. Pedroia simply knows how to work deep counts, and such a trait should pay major dividends vs. a hurler with minimal starting experience.
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Boston’s Steven Wright (4-4, 2.52) hardly boasts a laundry list of credentials in the bigs. Yet the knuckleballer continues to impress as he approaches his third month of extended action. Wright totes a 1.73 away from Fenway Park, so the righty certainly won’t cower in fear at the sight of Manny Machado, Chris Davis and the rest of Buck Showalter’s bombers. Take the Red Sox in a squeaker.
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