The Boston Red Sox (11-10) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (11-9) on Saturday, April 20th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on SN PT. The Red Sox are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pirates are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pirates. First pitch is set for 4:05 ET.
Red Sox vs Pirates
Boston cruised to an easy 8-1 win over the Pirates in the most recent game of this series. The Red Sox had a huge 1st inning, scoring two of their four runs. As for the Pirates, they scored their only run in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Red Sox were the slight favorites at -105.
Brayan Bello pitched well for the Red Sox in this one, going six innings and striking out seven without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Quinn Priester struggled on the mound for the Pirates, giving up four earned runs in just 4 1/3 innings of work.
Wilyer Abreu and Rob Refsnyder each homered for the Red Sox, while Ceddanne Rafaela scored three times and drove in two runs while going 1/4. Triston Casas also had a two RBI game at the plate.
As the Red Sox are on the road today vs. the Pirates, they are looking to move above .500, as they currently hold a record of 11-10. In the AL East, they are in 5th place, the same as the Rays, and both teams are 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the division lead.
So far, the Red Sox have been good on the road, putting together an 8-3 record. At home, they have gone just 3-7. Boston is coming off a series win over the Guardians. This season, they are 7-4 as the favorite and 4-6 as the underdog.
The Red Sox are 12-9 against the run line this season, including a 9-2 mark on the road. They have covered the run line in four straight road games and are 8-2 against the run line as underdogs. Their average run differential in wins is +4.0, while it’s -3.3 in losses.
When the Red Sox and Pirates met on Tuesday night, the over/under line was set at 8.5 runs. The game ended with a combined total of 9 runs, pushing the game over the total. This was the second straight over for the Red Sox, who have now gone over the total in 10 of their 20 games this season.
Kutter Crawford Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Kutter Crawford will be making his 5th start of the season for the Red Sox, and it will be his 3rd road start. He has gone 5 innings in each of his first 2 starts and went 6 innings in his last outing. Crawford has yet to pick up a win, but he has been solid, striking out 5 in each of his last 2 starts.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
For the Red Sox, we have Triston Casas with the 2nd highest total hits projection on the team and the top projected home run hitter for the Red Sox. His home run projection is 3rd best in today’s league. Enmanuel Valdez has the 5th best total hits projection on the team and the 2nd best home run projection. His home run projection is 8th best in today’s slate. Masataka Yoshida has the top total hits projection on the team and his total hits projection is 22nd best in today’s slate.
The Pirates are currently on a four-game losing streak and will look to get back on track today as they are at home vs. the Red Sox. In the AL East, the Red Sox are in 5th place. Looking at where the Pirates stand in the NL Central, they are two games behind the Brewers and are in 3rd palce.
So far, the Pirates have been the favorite five times, going 2-3 in those games. As the underdog, which they have been in the majority of their games, they have gone 9-6. At home, they are 3-3 and above .500 at 8-6 on the road.
When the Pirates are home, they are 3-3 against the run line. Their average run margin is -1.2 runs per game. They have been favored in five games, going 2-3 against the run line. As an underdog, they are 10-5 against the run line.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been involved in high-scoring games this season, with their games averaging 9.1 runs per game. Their over/under record is 12-8, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. In games where the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, the over is 3-1. Overall, 70% of their games have had over/under lines set above 8 runs, and their current over streak is at 2 games.
Mitch Keller Gets The Start For The Pirates
Mitch Keller is getting the start for the Pirates at home against the Red Sox. Keller has picked up wins in each of his first two starts, going 6 innings in his first start and then 7 innings in his last outing. He has a total of 13 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched this season.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
For the Pirates, we are projecting Ke’Bryan Hayes to have a solid day at the plate. His total hits projection is the highest on the team and 16th best in the league today. We also give him the 11th best odds to hit a home run in today’s slate. Bryan Reynolds is 4th on the team in terms of total hits, and 2nd in terms of home run projections. Oneil Cruz has the best odds on the team to hit a home run, and his total hits projection is 2nd on the team and 18th in the league today.
Red Sox vs Pirates Prediction
Our prediction for this Red Sox vs. Pirates matchup is to take the Pirates on the money line, with the payout being -121. We have the Pirates winning this one by a score of 5-4, and with the over/under sitting at 8 runs, there isn’t much value in taking the over or under.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Mitch Keller is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the second-best among starters today. As for Kutter Crawford, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is 20th among starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:April 20, 2024 Pirates, Red Sox