Kluber tasked with silencing Ortiz & Co.
After narrowly coming up short in Game 1 of the ALDS, will the Red Sox be able to bounce back this afternoon?
Boston and Cleveland meet again at 4:38 p.m. ET, with handicappers waving the flag of the Central Division. Online sports book Bovada.lv has installed the Indians as a 1.5-run favorite, whereas John Farrell’s group represents a -103 underdog. The over/under run total holds steady at 7.5.
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Last night, Cy Young front-runner Rick Porcello looked decidedly mortal. The Tribe took advantage, smacking three homers off the veteran righty en route to a 5-4 victory. While the home team’s own starter, Trevor Bauer, also faltered a bit, manager Terry Francona was able to lean on a flawless bullpen. Between them, setup man Andrew Miller and closer Cody Allen threw 80 pitches and recorded 11 outs.
The hope is that Corey Kluber won’t require such an early lifeline today. Coming off a groin strain, though, the Alabama native takes the ball for the first time in a week-and-a-half. He holds a 2-3 record with a 1.22 WHIP in nine career outings against the Red Sox.
As for Ferrell, he turns to lefty southpaw David Price. The perennial All-Star knows the October scene well, but familiarity hasn’t exactly translated into success. Price is 2-7 with a 5.12 ERA in 14 playoff appearances. As a starter, he’s 0-7 with a 5.27 ERA.
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Considering the East Division champs dropped five of their final six regular-season tilts, too, there’s a little bit of panic spreading across Beantown. Yet we’re confident that David Ortiz, Mookie Betts and those other boffo bats will answer the challenge in a few hours. Watch as the fireworks engulf Progressive Field.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: RED SOX/INDIANS OVER 7.5 RUNS