With a stunning June that saw the Boston Red Sox win 20 of 26 games there was talk that maybe they’d make a run in the AL East. As it turns out that’s the only winning month the Sox have had this season and an 11-22 ledger since the start of July not only dropped Boston out of a wild card spot, it put them in the cellar in their division.
The expanded playoff format leaves a lot of things on the table and winning more games at Fenway could be what helps the Sox achieve their playoff goal. Their first game back after a 3-4 road trip is against the World Series champion Atlanta Braves Tuesday on TBS in the first of a quick two-game set.
Atlanta Braves at Boston Red Sox Date & Time
This interleague matchup takes place on Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 7:10 p.m. ET from Fenway Park. The game will air live on TBS with betting options for every game on the 2022 MLB schedule available at BookMaker.eu.
Atlanta Braves at Boston Red Sox Odds
Atlanta Braves (Check Back Later)
Boston Red Sox (Check Back Later)
Total (Check Back Later)
Season So Far…
Well, the defending champs had a chance to make a statement over the weekend and came up short in their attempt to track down the Mets atop the NL East. They dropped a doubleheader on Saturday sending them to their fourth loss in five games where the pitching hit a rut. The staff allowed 14 runs in the twinbill and yielded at least six runs in each of the last four games cashing the OVER each time. The Braves are in a better spot this year than they were last season at this time, though it might be harder to win the division.
The Braves were a .500 team through 110 games last season and they head into this series with the third-best record in the NL winning nearly 59 percent of their games. A few deals at last year’s deadline gave them the boost they needed and the hope is something similar takes place. The additions of Jake Odorizzi and Raisel Iglesias strengthen the pitching staff with Robbie Grossman and Ehire Adrianza bolstering the depth. Offense hasn’t been a problem with the club averaging nearly 4.8 runs with the second-most homers in MLB allowing the Braves to have the fourth-highest OVER percentage in MLB.
While the Braves made a few deals to upgrade their roster, the Sox did little except give away their starting catcher. That doesn’t give the club much confidence heading into the final months of the season. Getting trounced by the Royals on Sunday and dropping three of four to one of the worst teams in baseball isn’t a good look either. Swinging a deal for an arm would’ve at least been a sign from management since pitching has been the weakest link. The Sox boast a staff ERA over 4.30 and a 1.31 WHIP, both near the bottom of MLB rankings.
Allowing 29 runs in four games to the Royals was painful showing just how much that area needs to improve. Unfortunately by the time James Paxton, Chris Sale and Michael Wacha are ready to return it could be too late. Even an offense that averages about 4.5 runs with a batting average over .250 can’t make up for the shortcomings. And home field advantage hasn’t helped with the Sox going 26-27 putting them $569 in the red on the moneyline.
Probable Pitchers
It’s rare to see a veteran hurler with the success Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.09 ERA) has had over his career struggle with consistency. He’s either been really good or really bad. Five times he’s pitched shutout ball, including his last outing when he allowed just three hits with eight strikeouts over 6.2 frames against Philly.
Morton took a ND in that game, a 3-1 loss with Atlanta falling to 2-4 in his last six starts. On the other end Morton has allowed four or more runs in nine starts with the OVER going 15-5-1 in his 21 starts. He’s had plenty of success against the Sox going 7-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 12 starts. Morton’s last outing against the Sox was in Fenway last season giving up four hits and one run with nine punchouts in seven innings in a 3-1 Braves victory.
The Sox counter with their own veteran in Rich Hill (4-5, 4.52 ERA). Making his first start in a month, Hill struggled against the Astros giving up six hits and four runs in three innings. “I pitched like crap,” he said following the 6-1 loss. Hill was part of the June uprising going 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts during the month, but he’s been ineffective since allowing seven runs on nine hits with four walks in 7.2 innings of his last two starts. A knee injury put him on the shelf and could have been a reason for his poor outing in Houston.
Atlanta Braves at Boston Red Sox Predictions
If not for that one glorious month where the Sox won 77 percent of their games they’d be in much worse shape. It’s hard at this point to even consider them a playoff team even though they are just a few games out of the third wild card spot. The Braves are licking their wounds after a bad weekend in New York and I can see them feasting on Hill and Boston’s pen to get them headed in the right direction.
Prediction: Atlanta Braves / OVER
