Boston Red Sox (85-64 SU, 64-79-6 O/U) v. Baltimore Orioles (73-77 SU, 74-72-4 O/U) at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland
Monday, September 18th, 2017 at 7:05 p.m. EST
Starting Pitchers: Doug Fister (R) 5-8, 4.40 ERA, 1.30 WHIP (BOS) v. Dylan Bundy (R) 13-9, 4.03 ERA, 1.18 WHIP (BAL)
Money Line: Boston Red Sox -101 | Baltimore Orioles -109
Over/Under: 9.5
The Baltimore Orioles are hosting the Boston Red Sox in this AL East showdown. The Red Sox are in the driver’s seat in the division standings. They have a three game lead over the second-place New York Yankees. The Orioles, on the other hand, are trying to make up ground. The O’s are 5.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Wild Card race. Which one of these clubs will get a win on Monday night in Baltimore?
Red Sox fall to the Rays
The Boston Red Sox came up short in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. The Sox couldn’t get anything going at the plate in the loss. They finished the game with only 3 hits. Boston’s lineup has been solid for much of the year. The Red Sox have scored 719 runs this season, which is the tenth-most in Major League Baseball.
Doug Fister will get the nod for the Boston Red Sox on Monday night. Fister hasn’t had a great season, and he really struggled in his last start. The right-hander was lit up in a loss to the Oakland A’s in his most outing. Fister gave up 6 hits, a walk, and 6 runs in only 4 innings of action against the A’s. He’ll try to bounce back with a win over the Orioles at Camden Yards on Monday.
Orioles avoid the sweep in NYC
The Baltimore Orioles were nearly swept by the Yankees in New York. However, the O’s managed to pull out a 6-4 victory over the Yankees in the fourth and final game of the series. Baltimore’s lineup scored all six of their runs in four innings, and they never trailed the Yankees in the win. The Orioles haven’t had a great season offensively, but they’re driving the ball. The O’s have a .444 slugging percentage, which is the fourth-best slugging percentage in either league.
Dylan Bundy will face off with the Red Sox in this AL East matchup. It has been an up-and-down season for Bundy. He was terrific in his last start, a no-decision against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Bundy only allowed 5 hits and 1 run in six innings. Despite his fantastic performance, Baltimore’s lineup didn’t provide him with the necessary run support to get a win. Bundy has won five of his last six decisions. He’ll try to keep it going with another win in this one.
Trends
The Boston Red Sox are:
- 2-5 in their last 7 Monday games.
The Baltimore Orioles are:
- 7-2 in their last 9 Monday games.
- 7-1 in Bundy’s last 8 starts on grass.
- 5-1 in Bundy’s last 6 home starts.
- 7-2 in Bundy’s last 9 starts.
The Orioles haven’t been playing well recently, but returning home to Baltimore should help them out. Dylan Bundy has pitched great at Camden Yards this season. Bundy has also played very well against the Red Sox in 2017. He has a 2.49 ERA in four games against the Sox this season. The Orioles are 6-2 in their last 8 meetings with the Red Sox. I like Dylan Bundy to lead the O’s to victory on Monday night.