Boston Red Sox (31-20) –130, o/u 9 at Detroit Tigers
(36-18), 7 p.m. Eastern
by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
First place in the East meets first place in the Central when the Boston
Red Sox hook up with the Detroit Tigers for the opener of a 3-game series
Friday night at Comerica Park.
The Red Sox beat Toronto Wednesday to salvage one game of a three-game
set. Boston sits atop the AL Eastern Division, a half-game up on the Yankees.
The Tigers beat the Yankees Thursday with a rally in the ninth to avoid
a sweep of a four-game series. Detroit is in first place in the AL Central,
2 ½ games clear of the White Sox.
Boston is 15-12 on the road this year, and 24-15 as favorites.
Detroit is 16-11 at home this season, and 11-6 as underdogs.
Boston’s Schilling (8-2, 3.93) has a nice record, but he’s been bounced
around a bit recently. Schilling has allowed 16 ER and 30 hits in his
last 25 2/3 IP, but has helped himself by issuing just two walks in that
span.
Somehow, Schilling hasn’t started against the Tigers since 2002.
Detroit lefty Rogers (7-3, 3.76) started out very well this season,
but has allowed 10 ER and five homers in his last two starts, covering
10 2/3 innings. Rogers started one game for Texas vs. the Red Sox last
year, allowing 5 ER and 7 hits in five innings.
The over/under is 7-4 in games started by Schilling this season, 3-7
in Rogers’ starts.
Boston won the season series with Detroit last year 6 games to 4, with
the o/u going 7-3.
The Red Sox own a .370 team OBP this season, 2nd-best in the AL, and
average 5.6 runs per game, 5.0 vs. left-handed pitching.
The Tigers have a .333 team OBP, 7th-best in the league, and average
5.0 RPG. But before they scored 7 runs Thursday night against the Yanks,
Detroit had tallied just 10 runs in its previous 5 games.
The Boston bullpen has allowed just 2 ER and 19 H+W in its last 15 2/3
IP.
The Tigers pen has given up 10 ER and 35 H+W in its last 19 2/3 IP.
The Red Sox already have OF Pena and reliever Timlin on the DL, and
3B Lowell is listed as questionable for Friday with a hamstring injury.
The o/u is 30-20 in Boston games this season, but 19-32 in Detroit games
and 10-15 at Comerica Park.
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The Ultimatecapper Pick: We like the over tonight!
