The Tampa Bay Rays (22-22) travel to face off against the Boston Red Sox (22-21) on Thursday, May 16th. This game will be played at Fenway Park in Boston and televised on BSSUN. 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
Tampa Bay rallied for three runs in the 6th inning in the most recent game of this series, picking up a 4-3 win over the Red Sox. The Rays had just seven hits in the game and didn’t score a run until the 4th inning. Heading into the game, they were at +114 on the money line.
Jose Siri scored the go-ahead run for the Rays in the 6th and finished the game with two hits and an RBI. Yandy Diaz also had a two-hit game and drove in two runs. Rafael Devers hit the game’s only home run for the Red Sox, going 1/4 with three RBIs.
Taj Bradley pitched well for the Rays in this one, going five innings and striking out six without giving up a run. He picked up a win in the game, while Kevin Kelly got the save. Tanner Houck had a good outing for the Red Sox, taking the loss.
The Rays are at an even 22-22 overall as they take on the Red Sox today. Currently, they trail the Red Sox by a half-game in the AL East and are seven games behind the Yankees for the division lead. So far, they are 6-7 in divisional matchups. Tampa Bay has gone 14-12 at home compared to 8-10 on the road.
So far, the Rays have been the favorite in 29 of their games, and they are 14-15 in those contests. As the underdog, Tampa Bay is 8-7 this year, and they are 4-6 as the favorite on the road. The Rays’ overall series record is 5-6-2, and they are currently up 2-1 in their series vs. the Red Sox.
When the Tampa Bay Rays are on the road, they have been a good bet against the run line, going 9-9 in those games. They have covered the run line in three straight road games and have an average run margin of -1.1 runs per game on the road this season.
The Rays have played 43 games this season, and their over/under record is 23-20. Their average combined run average is 8.9, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 7-10. The over has hit in six of their games when the line is set at 8.5 runs, and the under has hit in 21 games when the line is set below 8.5 runs.
Zack Littell Gets The Start For The Rays
The Rays are sending Zack Littell to the mound today vs. the Red Sox, and he comes in with a record of 2-2 and an ERA of 3.02. Littell has made eight starts this year and has turned in three quality starts. In his most recent outing, he went 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, and got the win. Before that, he had lost two straight starts. Littell’s ERA at home is 3.39, compared to 2.29 on the road. So far, he has a record of 2-1 at home and 0-1 on the road.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays offense has been pretty average, as they are 19th in the league at 4.1 runs per game. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .242, which is 12th in the league, and have the 9th best on-base percentage in the league. Tampa Bay has been good at putting the ball in play, as their team BABIP is 6th in the league.
Isaac Paredes has been a bright spot for the Rays this season, as he is batting .302 and is tied for the team lead with eight home runs. Over his last seven games, Yandy Diaz is hitting .379, and he has two homers in that stretch. Randy Arozarena has also gone deep twice in his last seven games, but he is batting just .179 in that stretch and is hitting only .156 for the season.
Boston will be looking to pick up a win today, as they are 22-21 overall and trail the Yankees by 6.5 games for the AL East lead. So far, they have really struggled vs. other AL East teams, going 1-5 this year. The Red Sox are 3rd in the division and trail the Orioles by 6 games for the 2nd spot in the division.
At home, the Red Sox are 10-12 this year compared to 12-9 on the road. Boston has dropped two straight games, and this came after winning four straight. Heading into today’s game, they are 4-6 over their last 10.
When betting the run line, the Red Sox have been a better play on the road this season, going 13-8 compared to 7-15 at home. Boston’s average run margin is +0.7 runs per game, but that number drops to -0.3 runs per game at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have been a better run line bet as the underdog, going 14-9, compared to just 6-14 as the favorite.
With an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the Boston Red Sox have had 16 of their 39 games (41%) this season finish with more than 8.5 runs scored. The Red Sox have played in nine games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, and the over has hit in seven of those contests. The Red Sox and their opponents have combined to score an average of 7.8 runs per game this season.
Cooper Criswell Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Through five starts, Cooper Criswell has a record of 2-1 and an ERA of 2.10 for the Red Sox. He has made six appearances this season and has a WHIP of 1.01. In his 25 2/3 innings of work, Criswell has a strikeouts per nine innings figure of 8.77. The right-hander has been particularly effective at home, coming in with an ERA of 2.99 compared to 1.04 on the road. Criswell’s last outing came on May 11th, where he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 16th in the league. This season, they are batting a collective .242, and their team on-base percentage of .314 is 8th in the league. Boston’s offense has been pretty good at avoiding strikeouts, as they are 27th in the league in this category. The Red Sox have been good at putting the ball in play, as their team BABIP of .31 is 4th in the league.
Ceddanne Rafaela comes into the game as the Red Sox’s top home run threat, as he has four homers this season, which is 10th in the league. However, he is batting just .207 for the season and has gone 6/26 over his last eight games. Rafael Devers is on a five-game hitting streak and is batting .250 over his last eight games.
Rays vs Red Sox Prediction
We are predicting a 5-4 win for the Rays, and with the payout being -109, we see this as a great opportunity to take them on the money line. Offensively, we have the Rays finishing with nine hits, which is the third-highest in the league today.
For the Red Sox, we have them finishing with a combined nine strikeouts, which is the fifth most in the league. If you’re looking at this game from a starting pitcher perspective, we have Zack Littell finishing with five strikeouts and Cooper Criswell with six.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 16, 2024 Rays, Red Sox