Boston Red Sox battle Mariners at Fenway Park
One team comes into the weekend having won five of seven and off a road sweep that was good enough for nearly a 4-unit gain by its backers. The other just avoided being swept by a team with half the payroll and down over 7.5 units to begin the season.
The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners play the second of their 3-game series Saturday and what should be the second consecutive mismatch at the MLB betting window. Seattle will send a second lefty to the mound with Doug Fister (1-4, 3.19) getting the starting nod on Saturday while Boston counters with veteran right-hander John Lackey (2-2, 6.35).
First pitch from Fenway park is 4:10 p.m. (PT).
Friday night's series opener pitted left-hander Jason Vargas and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound with Dice-K and the Sox 200 chalk and higher at some shops.
The Red Sox (11-13) went into that game having just escaped the AL East cellar after a victory Thursday in Baltimore where they avoided being swept by the Orioles. Seattle (11-15) brought up the rear of the standings in the AL West and had just completed sweeping three from the Tigers in Detroit.
Fister has pitched much better than his personal 1-3 record would indicate, but Seattle's offense (3.92 RPG) has failed to provide much support for the southpaw. Mariners bats exploded for 13 runs in the one start Fister made that ended in a Seattle victory; in the other four, all Mariners losses, the lineup has scored just five runs combined.
He made three starts vs. the Red Sox a season ago. The Mariners were 1-2 in those outings with Fister recording a 4.97 ERA.
Lackey was horrendous in his first two starts of the season against the hard-hitting Rangers and Yankees, but has come back to form in his last two starts, road affairs at the A's and Angels.
This will be Lackey's 25th career start vs. the M's, the Angels and Red Sox 14-10 combined in the previous 24. Nine of his first 14 assignments with Anaheim resulted in losses, but Lackey has since dominated Seattle with nine winning starts the last 10, a 2.17 ERA in that span. Half of his eight career shutouts have come at the Mariners' expense.
The Fister, Lackey battle is a rematch of a somewhat strange game played at Fenway about nine months ago. A soggy turf and strong winds blowing in greeted the two starters, and the two clubs combined for 17 hits (six off each starter), all of the hits singles and four of the nine runs at game's end were unearned.
Fister pitched well enough to win at Fenway in late-August, hurling into the seventh and striking out six. But three unearned runs on a dropped outfield fly helped Boston to a 6-3 win. Lackey worked through eight, allowing an unearned run among Seattle's three, and struck out 10.
This time the skies should be clear all day in Beantown with temps in the 50s during the game. A 10 mph NNW wind (in over the Green Monster) was in the early forecast.
Sunday's contest brings the series to a conclusion with a mound battle between Felix Hernandez and Clay Buchholz. The Mariners will travel back home and enjoy Monday off before opening a series with the Rangers on Tuesday. Boston remains at home to welcome the Angels to Fenway on Monday.
One team comes into the weekend having won five of seven and off a road sweep that was good enough for nearly a 4-unit gain by its backers. The other just avoided being swept by a team with half the payroll and down over 7.5 units to begin the season.
The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners play the second of their 3-game series Saturday and what should be the second consecutive mismatch at the MLB betting window. Seattle will send a second lefty to the mound with Doug Fister (1-4, 3.19) getting the starting nod on Saturday while Boston counters with veteran right-hander John Lackey (2-2, 6.35).
First pitch from Fenway park is 4:10 p.m. (PT).
Friday night's series opener pitted left-hander Jason Vargas and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound with Dice-K and the Sox 200 chalk and higher at some shops.
The Red Sox (11-13) went into that game having just escaped the AL East cellar after a victory Thursday in Baltimore where they avoided being swept by the Orioles. Seattle (11-15) brought up the rear of the standings in the AL West and had just completed sweeping three from the Tigers in Detroit.
Fister has pitched much better than his personal 1-3 record would indicate, but Seattle's offense (3.92 RPG) has failed to provide much support for the southpaw. Mariners bats exploded for 13 runs in the one start Fister made that ended in a Seattle victory; in the other four, all Mariners losses, the lineup has scored just five runs combined.
He made three starts vs. the Red Sox a season ago. The Mariners were 1-2 in those outings with Fister recording a 4.97 ERA.
Lackey was horrendous in his first two starts of the season against the hard-hitting Rangers and Yankees, but has come back to form in his last two starts, road affairs at the A's and Angels.
This will be Lackey's 25th career start vs. the M's, the Angels and Red Sox 14-10 combined in the previous 24. Nine of his first 14 assignments with Anaheim resulted in losses, but Lackey has since dominated Seattle with nine winning starts the last 10, a 2.17 ERA in that span. Half of his eight career shutouts have come at the Mariners' expense.
The Fister, Lackey battle is a rematch of a somewhat strange game played at Fenway about nine months ago. A soggy turf and strong winds blowing in greeted the two starters, and the two clubs combined for 17 hits (six off each starter), all of the hits singles and four of the nine runs at game's end were unearned.
Fister pitched well enough to win at Fenway in late-August, hurling into the seventh and striking out six. But three unearned runs on a dropped outfield fly helped Boston to a 6-3 win. Lackey worked through eight, allowing an unearned run among Seattle's three, and struck out 10.
This time the skies should be clear all day in Beantown with temps in the 50s during the game. A 10 mph NNW wind (in over the Green Monster) was in the early forecast.
Sunday's contest brings the series to a conclusion with a mound battle between Felix Hernandez and Clay Buchholz. The Mariners will travel back home and enjoy Monday off before opening a series with the Rangers on Tuesday. Boston remains at home to welcome the Angels to Fenway on Monday.
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