Expect Another Pitching Duel Between A’s, Red Sox

Boston’s booming bats have hit a rough patch as the host Red Sox look to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. The Red Sox (22-16 SU, 18-20 O/U) have scored just four total runs over the course of their current three-game losing streak, the last two coming against an Athletics team (23-15 SU, 18-20 O/U) that has won seven of its last 10.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Red Sox opened as slim -113 favorites; you can still find them there in some spots, but they’ve fallen as low as -107 in others. The total kicked off at 9.5, but there are some 9s out there if you prefer the lower total.

Starting Pitchers Analysis

Oakland lefty Sean Manaea (3-1, 3.07 ERA) has hit his stride as he looks to live up to once-lofty expectations. Manaea is coming off a seven-inning gem in which he limited the Tampa Bay Rays to a run on two hits while fanning a season-high 10 batters. Manaea has four quality starts in his last six outings after getting lit up by Houston in his season-Sportsbook turn.

Red Sox counterpart Garrett Richards (2-2, 4.54 ERA) appears to have his early-season control issues in check, and that has resulted in an impressive three-start stretch during which he has allowed just six earned runs with 22 strikeouts over 19 innings. Richards has been dismal in two starts at Fenway Park this season, however, allowing 10 runs while walking eight in 6.2 innings.

Oakland News & Notes

Oakland’s pitching was a thorn in its side during an ugly 0-6 start to the season, allowing a total of 50 runs over that span.

Those days are long gone now, with the staff having surrendered just 11 runs in its past five games to move into the middle of the pack overall in ERA (4.02). The A’s also enter Thursday’s action ranked second in the majors in quality starts with 19.

Boston News & Notes

While there wasn’t much the Red Sox were able to do in a 3-2 series-Sportsbook loss to the Athletics (they managed just four hits in defeat), they squandered plenty of opportunities in Wednesday’s 4-1 setback.

Boston went just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position against a quartet of Oakland pitchers and is just 1-for-13 in that situation so far in the series.

Betting Pick: UNDER 9 (-110)

Offense has been scarce through the first two games of the series, and with Manaea and Richards both pitching well of late, another low-scoring affair could be in the cards.