Baltimore, Boston wrap up riveting series
The Red Sox (37-27) have aspirations of moving back into sole possession of first place in the AL East tonight. Will Eduardo Rodriguez’s erratic left arm allow that to happen, though?
Boston and Baltimore promise further drama at 7:10 p.m. ET, with Fenway Park serving as the theater. Handicappers at online sports book Bovada.lv give the host squad odds of -138 to triumph, while the O’s enter as +128 underdogs. The over/under run figure sits at 10.5.
Yesterday, John Farrell’s gang ended a three-game losing streak in the season series. Steven Wright threw 7 1/3 superb innings to complement Hanley Ramirez’s climactic homer in the third. Even as his team was pulling even with the Orioles atop the division, however, Farrell’s thoughts undoubtedly turned to this evening’s hurler. Rodriguez (1-1, 6.06 ERA) has yielded 10 hits, nine earned runs and seven walks in his past two assignments. Now he’s supposed to silence a Baltimore lineup that boasts 32 dingers since June 4.
Still, the O’s (37-27) harbor their own worries in reference to the rubber. Scheduled starter Tyler Wilson (2-5, 4.73) last went more than six frames on May 30. He’s made just two career appearances vs. Boston, going 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA.
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All signs point to a battle of the bullpens down the stretch. If that’s the case, the Orioles’ Darren O’Day-less crew is at a distinct disadvantage. Either way, expect a slam-bang finale that whets everybody’s appetite for future clashes.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: ORIOLES/RED SOX OVER 10.5 RUNS
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