Tonight’s American League Preview Game
Orioles (Kremer) Vs Red Sox (Winckowski) 7:10 EST
Baltimore (58-52) hosts Boston (54-58) in a matchup of two teams moving in opposite directions.
The Orioles continue their massive surge after completing a two-game sweep of the Blue Jays. The third game of that series was rained out last night. They currently sit tied with Tampa Bay for the last American League wild-card spot and are now only two games behind the Blue Jays. Making the postseason for this lineup would be a major achievement after winning only 52 games last season. Baltimore went an impressive 16-7 in July, but their August is off to an even better start at 7-1. Things are looking up for fans in Baltimore.
The same cannot be said for the Boston Red Sox. The club looked dismal over the past several weeks and has a knack for making routine fielding plays look like a little league game. The pitching staff has several major holes and the injuries are starting to mount. Who can ever forget the 28-5 debacle a few weeks ago against the Blue Jays? They are now looking up at Baltimore in the standings, a full five games behind the team they typically dominate. Red Sox fans are seeing the writing on the wall for this year’s club and are already looking for consultation prizes hopeful for better things next season.
Dean Kremer takes the mound for Baltimore tonight. His second season as a starter has been a bit rocky but mostly positive as the club looks to build a rotation for the future. He had a good start last week against the Pirates last week and he looks to build on that down a playoff stretch. I expect to continue improving as he builds confidence.
Red Sox rookie starter Josh Winckowski gets another start tonight. His first season has shown signs of promise but still has been full of several bad outings. His presence in the rotation through the rest of the season is likely to remain his to keep if he can stay the course. Boston has several key injuries in their rotation already, most notable Chris Sale, but also Michael Wacha and Brayan Bello are currently on the shelf.
American League Best Bets
I got another split of two American League games yesterday. With a light schedule of just four games on a moving day Thursday, I’ll take just one pick today.
AL: Orioles (Kremer) [+110] @ Red Sox (Winckowski) $
For all of the reason outlined above, there should be little doubt as to who like tonight. I am a little surprised that underdog lines can still be found on the Orioles. My numbers show they should be clear favourites in this matchup.
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Legend: $ one unit regular bet, $$ two units best bet, * prop bets .5 units
