Two of the hottest teams in the American League are set to square off on Saturday night when the Cleveland Guardians host the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox took the first game of the series 6-3 on Friday night, although the Guardians are favored with a -160 moneyline on Saturday while Boston’s moneyline sits at +135. The game also has an over/under of 8.5 runs.
With Friday’s win, the Red Sox have won their last five games. That winning streak puts Boston at 17-4 during the month of June. Nevertheless, they are still 12 games back in the American League East, although they would have a Wild Card spot if the season ended today.
Meanwhile, the Guardians are trying to avoid a three-game losing streak after losing the last two days. The good news is they are still 15-6 in June. That promising stretch has taken Cleveland to the top of the AL Central standings, tied with the Twins for first place.
Bieber Time!
It’ll be former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber getting the start for Cleveland on Saturday. In 13 starts this year, he’s 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA to lead the Cleveland rotation. Bieber has had some of his best starts of the season in June, pitching to a 2.59 ERA over his last four starts.
However, the Cleveland lineup has largely gone cold lately, scoring three runs or less in four of the team’s last seven games. The Guardians have relied heavily on Jose Ramirez, who is having an MVP-caliber season with 62 RBIs and a 1.003 OPS in 64 games. Unfortunately, Ramirez has gone cold lately, leaving Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, and Steven Kwan to pick up the slack for Cleveland.
Just a Wink
Rookie Josh Winckowski will get the start for the Red Sox on Saturday. This will be just his fourth career start, although he’s 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA over the first two. The 6’4’’ righty struggled in his debut but has picked up the win in each of his last two starts, allowing just two runs over 11.2 innings of work, albeit against the A’s and Tigers, two of the worst teams in baseball.
Of course, there’s a good chance the Red Sox will provide the rookie with plenty of run support after scoring at least five runs in six of their last seven games. Once again, the trio of Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, and Xander Bogaerts is carrying the Boston lineup but receiving little outside assistance. At the moment, Martinez and Bogaerts are in a little bit of a slump, although Trevor Story is finally starting to come alive, as is Alex Verdugo, giving the Red Sox a little depth.
End of the Line
The Red Sox have had a knack for winning lately, although this could be where it ends. They have a rookie going against a former Cy Young winner. Plus, with the Guardians also having a great June, they’re unlikely to lose three in a row, making them a good bet to win on Saturday and even the series.
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