The Tampa Bay Rays (21-21) travel to face off against the Boston Red Sox (21-20) on Tuesday, May 14th. This game will be played at Fenway Park in Boston and televised on NESN. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Red Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 7:10 ET.
Rays vs Red Sox
The most recent game o of this Rays vs Red Sox series came right down to the end, as the Rays rallied late for a 5-3 win. Heading into the game, the Rays were at -103 on the money line.
Tampa Bay got to Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, scoring four runs off him in just six innings of work. On the other side, Zach Eflin gave the Rays five innings, giving up three earned runs.
Yandy Diaz and Amed Rosario each had two RBIs for the Rays, while Jose Caballero scored twice and drove in two runs while going 2/4. Tyler O’Neill hit the games only home run, going 1/3 with three RBIs.
The Rays are at an even 21-21 overall heading into today’s road matchup vs. the Red Sox. Currently, they trail the Red Sox by a half-game in the AL East for the 3rd spot, and they are six games behind the Orioles for the AL East lead. Tampa Bay has gone just 5-6 in division games this year.
Tampa Bay has won seven of their last ten games, and they are 14-12 at home compared to 7-9 on the road. So far, they have been the favorite in 29 of their games, and they are 14-15 in those contests. As for their record as the underdog, the Rays are 7-6 this year, and their overall series record is 5-6-2.
When betting the run line on the Tampa Bay Rays, it’s been a mixed bag. They are 17-25 overall, but they are 10-16 at home. On the road, they are 7-9. As the favorite, they are just 9-20, but as the underdog, they are 8-5. Their average run differential is -0.7 runs per game, but in their losses, it’s -4.0 runs per game.
The Tampa Bay Rays have had a combined run average of 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 23-19. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 7-10. Overall, 47.6% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 8.5 runs. In their last game, they combined for 8 runs against the Red Sox, which was under the 8.5 run line.
Aaron Civale Gets The Start For The Rays
Right-hander Aaron Civale gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 2-3 with a 5.88 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .262 off Civale this year, and his WHIP is currently 1.35. In his last outing, Civale took the loss, giving up two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. He has not won a game since April 7th. Civale has allowed at least one home run in four straight outings.
Rays Offense Breakdown
Yandy Diaz has been swinging the bat well of late for the Rays, going 15/37 in his last nine games, including two home runs. Diaz is currently hitting .261 for the season and has the team’s 2nd most RBIs. Isaac Paredes has also been a key run producer for the Rays, as his 22 RBIs are 14th in the league. Paredes has also been hitting the ball well of late, batting .370 over his last eight games.
As a team, the Rays are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been a bit better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. Overall, they are batting .245, which is 10th in the league, and have the 8th best on-base percentage in the league. Tampa Bay’s team isolated power of .126 is 24th in the league.
Boston will take on the Rays today with an overall record of 21-20, and they are 5.5 games behind the Orioles for the AL East lead. So far, they are 0-4 against other teams in the AL East. The Red Sox have dropped seven of their last ten games and lost the first game of this series vs. the Rays.
At home, the Red Sox are 9-11 this year compared to 12-9 on the road. As the underdog, Boston is 10-13 this year and 11-7 when favored. Their overall series record is 7-5-1 this season.
At home, the Red Sox have struggled to cover the run line this season, going just 7-13. Overall, they are 20-21 against the run line. They have been a better bet on the road, going 13-8 vs. the run line. As the underdog, they are 14-9 vs. the run line.
For the season, the Red Sox have played 38 games with an average combined run total of 7.8 runs per game. Their over/under record is 14-24, and when the line has been set at 8.5 runs, they are 7-8. Their current under streak is at six games, and their games have gone under the total in 43.9% of their games this season. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs per game.
Nick Pivetta Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Nick Pivetta is getting the start for the Red Sox at home against the Rays. He has started 3 games this season, and in his last outing, he took the loss against the Braves, going 4 innings and giving up 5 runs. However, he did strike out 7 batters in that game.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Red Sox offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .243, which is 11th in the league, and are near the top of the league in terms of isolated power and batting average on balls in play. One thing to keep an eye on is that the Red Sox are striking out 9 times per game, which is the 25th worst mark in the league.
Heading into today’s game, Rafael Devers is on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .286 over his last nine games. For the season, he is hitting .244 with six home runs. Ceddanne Rafaela has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 8/29 in his last nine games. This includes one home run and five RBIs.
Rays vs Red Sox Prediction
We’re predicting the Red Sox to pick up a 5-4 win over the Rays, and with them being at -123 on the money line, that’s the route we recommend going. Looking at the starting pitchers, Nick Pivetta is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is the sixth-best among starters today.
As for Aaron Civale, he’s actually projected to finish with five K’s, which is fifth worst among starters. Offensively, we have the Red Sox finishing with nine hits and the Rays with nine.
Looking at the Rays, they are projected to finish with four runs, and the Red Sox with five. However, we have the Rays finishing with a home run, and the Red Sox not hitting one in this matchup.
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:May 14, 2024 Rays, Red Sox