Game: Atlanta Braves @ Boston Red Sox
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Odds: Braves -160, Red Sox +135
Total: 9.5
The Braves enjoyed a day off yesterday and they spent it recovering from their 4-1 series loss to the Mets over the weekend. Atlanta lost the final three games of the series losing three straight for the first time this season. The Braves are still the National League’s top wild card, but they have fallen 6.5 games behind the Mets in the race for the NL East. Atlanta looks to get back on track tonight as they begin a two-game series with Boston.
The Braves will try and do so with veteran right-hander Charlie Morton on the mound. Morton is 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA this season. He only has one win in his last 10 starts, but he has fared pretty well against the Red Sox during his MLB career. In 12 starts against the Red Sox, Morton is 7-1 with a 3.72 ERA.
Morton pitched well in his last trip to the mound pitching 6.2 scoreless innings against the Phillies. He struck out eight and walked just one, but the Braves could help Morton out and would end up losing 3-1. Interestingly, Morton has at least five strikeouts in every one of his starts since May 31.
While the Braves are riding a three-game losing streak, they have still been playing well this season. They are 16 games above .500. Boston, on the other hand, was 11 games over .500 back in June after the Red Sox won 19 of 23 games. Since that run, Boston is 12-25 which puts the Red Sox five games behind the final AL wild card.
Boston will start veteran Rich Hill tonight. Hill is much like Morton with a very mediocre 4-5 record and an ERA of 4.52. Hill has not won a single start since June 26. However, like Morton, he has had plenty of success against the Braves in his career. In 10 appearances, eight of which were starts, Hill is a perfect 5-0 against Atlanta with a 2.13 ERA.
To understand the depths of Boston’s issues over the last two months, the Red Sox just recently lost three of four games to Kansas City. The Royals scored 29 runs in four games against the Red Sox. Kansas City has been one of the worst-scoring teams in MLB this season. In Sunday’s series finale, the Royals went off for 13 runs.
Boston is now 1-4 in its last five games overall and 3-7 in its last 10 games at Fenway Park. Atlanta isn’t doing much better going 1-5 in its last six games. The Braves are 1-4 in their last five games against Boston, but Atlanta is 5-1 in its last six trips to Fenway Park.
The Over is a trend here as it has hit in four of Atlanta’s last five games. The Over is 9-2 in the Braves’ last 11 games and in the last 11 Braves-Red Sox games. Fenway Park is also one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in the majors.