Red Sox vs Rays MLB Betting Odds, Starting Pitchers, Prediction Game 2

Kicking off Friday’s MLB Playoffs primetime action is the second game of the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. It was all Rays on the scoreboard in Game 1, as the AL East Division champs rolled to a 5-0 shutout win. The reigning AL Pennant winners will look to take full control of this best-of-five ALDS tonight. Meanwhile, the wild card Red Sox will attempt to level things up before the series shifts to Fenway Park. The MLB betting odds are once again in favor of the home side in tonight’s Red Sox vs Rays postseason showdown.

This MLB betting preview for Red Sox vs Rays ALDS Game 2 includes game info, projected starting pitchers, betting odds, trends and a prediction for this division series matchup.

Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview and Prediction | MLB Playoffs Game 2

ALDS Game 2 (TB leads series 1-0)
Boston Red Sox (92-70, 43-38 Away) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (100-62, 52-29 Home)
Date: Friday, Oct. 8, 2021
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Venue: Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
Coverage: FS1

Red Sox vs Rays Starting Pitchers

Red Sox: Chris Sale (5-1, 3.16 ERA)
Rays: Shane Baz (2-0, 2.03 ERA)

Boston Red Sox Preview

After an offensive outburst in the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday, the Red Sox ran into the brick wall that is Rays pitching last night. While Boston never scored a run, perhaps they can be optimistic about the fact that they had nine hits. Unfortunately, none of them came at the right time to drive in runs. After each slugging a home run in the Wild Card Game win, both Kyle Schwarber and Xander Bogaerts had two hits in Game 1 of the ALDS. Christian Arroyo also had two knocks hitting out of the nine-hole. The Red Sox were let down by starter Eduardo Rodriguez on Thursday. He surrendered two early runs and only lasted 1.2 innings.

Veteran lefty Chris Sale will look to put the MLB betting underdog Red Sox on his back in Friday’s Game 2 matchup. Of course, Sale missed the majority of the regular season after recovering from offseason surgery. He made his season debut in mid-August and pitched well down the stretch, posting a 5-1 record and 3.16 ERA. Perhaps having his season cut short will be beneficial for Sale, who has notably run out of steam late in previous years. Sale did manage to make two starts against the Rays since coming off of the IL. He was effective in the first outing, allowing just two runs over six innings. The second start was a different story, as he surrendered five runs on 10 hits and failed to make it out of the 4th inning.

Tampa Bay Rays Preview

The Rays won Game 1 of this ALDS series on Thursday like only they can. Tampa Bay was out-hit 9-6 but made the most of the offensive opportunities they did have. A big reason why the Rays were able to get to Eduardo Rodriguez early was thanks to drawing bases on balls. Randy Arozarena scored the first run of the game after reaching base via a walk. Technically still an MLB rookie, Arozarena picked up right where he left off last October, scoring three of the Rays’ five runs in Game 1. He slugged a home run to go along with how two walks. Fellow rookie Wander Franco continued to amaze with a pair of hits and an RBI in his first postseason game. Starter Shane McClanahan was sharp over five innings before turning it over to the lethal Rays bullpen.

In true Tampa Bay Rays fashion, they are giving the ball to 22-year-old Shane Baz as their Game 2 starting pitcher. For those in the MLB betting community who might not recognize that name, it’s because Baz has pitched in all of three big league games prior to Friday’s postseason start. The right-hander was a late-season call-up by the Rays. He pitched a total of 13.1 innings over his three starts, posting a 2-0 win-loss record, 2.43 ERA and 0.675 WHIP. Most recently, Baz shut down the New York Yankees on the road last Saturday in a game that wound up being the Rays’ 100th win of the season. That performance struck a chord with manager Kevin Cash who hopes that Baz’s pure talent will make up for his lack of experience in Game 2 of the ALDS.