MLB Baseball Odds: Texas Rangers vs Boston Red Sox
Saturday, September 03, 2011
by Frank Martin
Back-to-back losses have knocked the Boston Red Sox off the perch atop the American League East and things won't get any easier on Saturday. Boston, which was hammered by Texas 10-0 on Friday, hosts the Rangers in the second of a three-game series. The Red Sox trail the New York Yankees by one-half game in the AL East and will send out Erik Bedard against Texas’ Colby Lewis.
The Rangers lead the Los Angeles Angels by 4 1/2 games in the AL West. It isn't so bad for the Red Sox either - they have a nine-game lead in the AL wild card standings over the Tampa Bay Rays.
- Texas Rangers (79-60) vs. Boston Red Sox (83-54)
When: 4:10 PM ET, Saturday, September 3, 2011
Where: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Fox
The Red Sox have opened as 146-moneyline favorites on Bet Online Sportsbook’s Live MLB Baseball Odds.
Rangers RH Colby Lewis (11-9, 4.19 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Erik Bedard (4-9, 3.45).
Boston lit up Lewis for seven runs on nine hits in six innings at Arlington on Aug. 23. Lewis surrendered a pair of homers to Adrian Gonzalez in the game and then came back and allowed five runs on eight hits in six innings against the Angels. If Texas reaches the playoffs, Lewis will certainly get a start but he has been wildly inconsistent. His past two dismal starts followed a pair of splendid outings. It is beginning to look as though Bedard will never win a game for the Red Sox. The lefthander has made five starts for Boston and is 0-2 with a 3.46 ERA.
Bedard pitched four scoreless innings in Boston’s 4-0 win over the Athletics in his last start but didn’t return to the mound following a lengthy rain delay even though Boston led at the time. Alfredo Aceves came in and vultured the victory. Bedard is 4-4 lifetime against Texas with a 3.42 ERA and lost a 4-0 decision to the Rangers on Aug. 22.
Kevin Youkilis (strained lower back) returned to the lineup Friday but his presence didn’t make a difference. Youkilis went 0-for-3 and fanned twice in a game that got out of hand early. Boston pitching allowed three home runs in a game that got so bad, Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia hit the showers at the midway point.
Boston lost its first four meetings of the season against Texas before winning three straight games at Arlington in late August. But just when the Red Sox thought they may have the Rangers’ number, starter Andrew Miller got pounded. Boston managed only two hits and David Ortiz had his 15-game hitting streak come to an end. Ortiz had gone 28-for-56 in the stretch. Boston is 6-8 in its last 14 home games.
Derek Holland stymied the Boston lineup Friday. He allowed two hits - both singles - and picked off Jacoby Ellsbury on the first one. Texas pitching retired the final 16 hitters. Ian Kinsler homered for the third time in two games and Adrian Beltre returned to the lineup from a hamstring pull and went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. David Murphy had four hits, a great sign for the Rangers who are without Nelson Cruz, on the disabled list with a strained hamstring.
Carl Crawford was scratched from the Red Sox lineup Friday because of an illness. Former Diamondback Conor Jackson made his Boston debut in Crawford's place and went 0-for-3.
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adrian beltre - adrian gonzalez - alfredo aceves - andrew miller - boston red sox - carl crawford - colby lewis - conor jackson - david murphy - david ortiz
