Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers:
While the 2024 season has not gone as planned for the Texas Rangers, reinforcements are coming. The team looks to build momentum for a late-season surge when they face the Boston Red Sox at home on Sunday for our MLB pick.
After averaging an American League-best 5.5 runs per game and nearly 1.5 home runs per game in 2023, with those numbers going to nearly 5.9 runs per game and 1.9 home runs per game, the team has seen that home production dip to 4.2 runs per game this season, which ranks 20th in the league.
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While there are many reasons for the dip in productivity, the loss of Josh Jung from April 2 until their final series in July against the St. Louis Cardinals played a big part in the drop after Jung hit 23 home runs with a .266 batting average last season.
The recharged Rangers will look to take out some frustrations on Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, who has allowed at least three runs in seven of his past nine starts. This season, he has a 4.47 ERA with 1.7 home runs per nine innings.
The Red Sox bullpen has also begun to unravel. The team entered Saturday with a bullpen ERA of 5.15, which ranks 28th in the league.
While the Red Sox have struggled on the mound, the offense has been in peak form with a league-best 6.7 runs per game in their first 13 games since the All-Star Break entering Saturday.
The Red Sox have to grace a former starting pitcher of their own on Sunday in Nathan Eovaldi, who has not allowed a walk in any of his past five starts, but he also has a 3.38 ERA for the season and has allowed 11 total runs across his past three starts.
The Rangers’ bullpen had a 4.41 ERA entering Saturday, which ranked them 27th in this category. Jung’s return should lead to plenty of offensive fireworks on Sunday.
MLB Pick: Red Sox vs. Rangers Over 8 Runs
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