We have the conclusion of a four-game American League East series when the Boston Red Sox meet the Tampa Bay Rays. The clubs split the first two games of this series and Boston Red Sox rookie Bobby Dalbec has homered in five consecutive games. Can the Rays pitching keep him from launching more bombs?
This preview was written prior to the start of Saturday MLB contests and all opinions are based on Friday night MLB action.
Dalbec Five Game Home Run Streak
Boston enters Saturday looking to end a one-game losing streak and has lost six of its last ten games. The Red Sox are 13.5 games out of first place and will likely miss the playoffs this season. Boston is 8-13 away from Fenway Park and leading the offense with ten dingers is infielder Xander Bogaerts and infielder Rafael Devers leads the club with 31 RBI.
The Red Sox pitching staff ranks last in baseball with a 6.21 team ERA and the offense checks in at number six with a .265 team batting average over 1576 at-bats this season.
Lefty Martin Perez (2-4, 4.40) is Boston’s probable starting pitcher for Sunday and has scattered 38 hits with 23 earned runs, six bombs, and 24 walks. Perez has struck out 31 and is up against a Tampa Bay offense with a 27 percent strikeout rate and .217 ISO over 491 plate appearances against southpaws this season.
Rays First in AL East
Tampa Bay is first in the AL East and has a 4.5 game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays enter Saturday working on a one-game winning streak and have won five of its past ten games. Tampa Bay is 15-7 at home this season and leading the way for the Rays offense is infielder Brandon Lowe with 11 bombs and 29 RBI this season.
The Rays offense ranks twentieth with a .240 team batting average and the arms checks in at number seven with a team ERA of 3.80 over 397.2 innings pitched.
Righty Charlie Morton (1-2, 4.94) is the Tampa Bay probable starting pitcher for this matchup and over 23 innings pitched has allowed 25 hits with 13 earned runs, four bombs, and nine walks. Morton has struck out 24 and is up against a Boston offense with a 24.9 percent strikeout rate and .186 ISO over 1151 plate appearances this season against righties.
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