Matt Dermody is lined up to make his first start of the season as the Boston Red Sox (31-31) match up against the Cleveland Guardians (28-33) at Progressive Field on Thursday with the three-game series in the balance.
The Guardians leveled the series 1-1 after winning 5-2 on Wednesday, their second head-to-head victory in five games this season. Starter Tanner Bibee got the win, giving up two runs (1 ER) on four hits over five innings, and Emmanuel Clase earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth.
Amed Rosario went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs, and one RBI in the win. Josh Naylor also went 3 for 4 with a double, one run, and one RBI. Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with one RBI for the Red Sox.
ON THE MOUND
Dermody is in line to take the mound for Boston, his season debut. Last season, the Southpaw made only one appearance for the Cubs. For Cleveland, righty Aaron Civale (1-1, 2.04 ERA) will toe the rubber. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Red Sox.
Civale made one start against the Red Sox in 2022, throwing four innings in an 8-3 home defeat on June 26. He gave up eight hits and walked three while striking out two in the loss. In his last start on Friday, Civale took a no-decision on the road against the Twins. He threw five scoreless innings and gave up four hits, striking out four and walking two in the 1-0 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Boston has averaged only 2.4 runs a game, down from their season average of 5.0, while performing worse across the board (.195/.298/.299). Against righties like Civale this season, the Sox have a .755 OPS.
Masataka Yoshida is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .935 OPS in 152 at-bats. Cleveland is averaging only 3.0 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 3.6 for the season.
The Guardians have a .664 OPS against lefties in 2023, the second lowest in the league. With a .886 OPS over 59 at-bats, Andres Gimenez has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Boston is 14-15 in away games in 2023, scoring 4.3 runs per game while allowing 4.4 runs. Cleveland has gone 13-16 at their home ballpark this season, averaging 2.9 runs per game while surrendering 3.8. In the last 10 games at Progressive Field between the teams, Boston is 8-2 with an average scoreline of 5.1-3.7.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Red Sox are fifth in the AL East, 13 games behind the division-leading Rays. The Guardians are second in the AL Central, two games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cleveland Guardians (-145)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
