The Boston Red Sox are the baseball betting favorites to make it 2-0 tonight in their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. These are the odds for fans who bet on MLB:
Giants +1½ (-110) 10½ (+105) +195
Red Sox -1½ (-110) 10½ (-125) -215
Last night at Fenway Park, hosts Red Sox shutout the Giants 4-0. Right-handed pitcher Rick Porcello is now 12-2 and 9-0 at home, as he handed San Francisco their fourth straight loss – the Giants surely have started the second half of the season on the wrong foot. Porcello kept San Fran to four hits in 6 1/3 innings – the first time a Red Sox pitcher achieves that feat since Dennis Eckersley did so in 1978. Meanwhile, Boston’s David Ortiz is continuing to leave the majors in the highest note possible, hitting his longest – and 23rd – home run of the season (442 feet) off of former teammate Jake Peavy, who is now 5-8. The right-hander gave up another home run to Brock Holt. Neither Peavy in particular nor the Giants in general played badly – the former allowed three hits in 6 innings, and the latter even out hit Boston 4-5 – but it was to no avail; when the baseball betting odds are against you, it doesn’t matter much how well you play.
Tonight the Giants – who are one loss away of matching their longest losing streak of the season (5 straight in April) – will start right-handed pitcher Matt Cain (1-5). The 31 year old will make his return from the disabled list following a right hamstring injury. Cain has one other start versus Boston. On June 16th, 2007 he allowed one run on three hits in 7 innings in a 1-0 loss at Fenway Park. Left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz will not only start for the Red Sox but will actually be making his long awaited debut with Boston. The 27 year old was a forced to be reckoned with in his last three starts with the San Diego Padres, allowing one earned run during 21 innings. Additionally, Pomeranz went 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts in the National League. The lefty has gone 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA and 32 strikeouts in nine career games – including seven starts – against San Francisco. Before being traded by the Padres to the Red Sox for fellow pitcher Anderson Espinoza during the All Star break, Pomeranz pitched twice versus the Giants this season, going 0-2 with a 2.60 ERA.
San Francisco baseball betting fans will be hoping that catcher Buster Posey will come to the team’s rescue. As a designated hitter, Posey could focus on at-bats, something that might serve the Giants well. The 29 year old is 6-for-13 with two homers against Pomeranz. Currently, San Francisco is atop the National League West division with 57 wins and 37 losses (.606%), while the Red Sox are second in the American League East division with 52 wins and 9 losses (.571%), half a game behind the leading Baltimore Orioles.
