The Boston Red Sox (30-30) take one of the best lineups in the league on the road to face the Cleveland Guardians (27-32) at Progressive Field on Tuesday for the opener of a three-game series.
The Red Sox are embarking on a six-game road trip after wrapping up a difficult seven-game homestand (2-5). They won only one out of four in their last series against the Rays, dropping the finale 4-1 on Monday at Fenway Park.
Justin Turner was 1 for 3 with a solo home run. The Guardians are playing the first of six games at home after finishing up a seven-game road trip (4-3).
They split their last series against the Twins, taking the finale 2-1 on Sunday at Target Field. Andres Gimenez went 1 for 3 with a triple and one RBI.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Red Sox have won two of three in the season series between the teams, including a 7-1 victory in their most recent meeting on April 30 at Fenway Park. Starter Chris Sale went 6.1 innings for the win, giving up one run on three hits.
ON THE MOUND
James Paxton (1-1, 4.26 ERA) is slated to start for Boston. The lefty allowed one run over five innings in his last start, a 5-4 road defeat against the Reds on Wednesday. He gave up four hits while striking out eight and walking one in the no-decision.
Righty Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.72 ERA) takes the mound for Cleveland. He has made one prior start against the Red Sox this season, giving up two runs over seven innings in a 5-2 road win on April 28. He gave up five hits and walked two, while striking out four in the win.
In his last start on Wednesday, Bieber took a no-decision on the road against the Orioles. He threw four innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking two in the 12-8 victory.
AT THE PLATE
The Boston offense is averaging 5.1 runs per game for the season, fourth best in the league, with a slash line of .263/.335/.432. Masataka Yoshida leads the team in OPS at .901.
The left fielder is slashing .318/.396/.505 with seven home runs, 33 RBIs, and 33 runs over 52 games. Against right-handed pitchers like Bieber this season, the Sox have a .763 OPS, fifth highest in the league.
Yoshida also is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a .925 OPS in 144 at-bats. Cleveland is slashing .233/.301/.349 for the season and averaging 3.6 runs per game, second lowest in MLB.
Jose Ramirez leads the team with a .768 OPS. The third baseman has six home runs, 30 RBIs, and 30 runs scored with a slash line of .261/.332/.436.
Cleveland is averaging 4.8 runs per game in the last five with a better slash line (.272/.318/.417). The Guardians have a .675 OPS against left-handers in 2023, third lowest in the league. With a .954 OPS over 54 at-bats, Gimenez has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Boston is 13-14 in road games in 2023, scoring 4.3 runs per game while allowing 4.4 runs. Cleveland has gone 12-15 at Progressive Field this season, averaging 2.8 runs per game while surrendering 3.9. In the last 10 games between the teams at Progressive Field, Boston is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 5.2-3.8.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Red Sox are fifth in the AL East, 11 games behind the division-leading Rays. The Guardians are second in the AL Central, three games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cleveland Guardians (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
