The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Boston Red Sox last night in a game that frustrated fans to no end. Can they right the ship in what should be a slightly more even pitching matchup on Sunday?
Phillies vs Red Sox Info
Date: Sunday, May 7th | Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Location: Citizen’s Bank Park, Philadelphia
TV channel: MLB TV, NBCS
Phillies vs Red Sox Betting odds
Money line: Boston Red Sox (+105) | Philadelphia Phillies (-125)
Run Line: Boston Red Sox +1.5 (-180) | Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+155)
Run total: Over/Under 9.5 (-110)
Pitching matchup
Taijuan Walker (2-2, 6.91 ERA) vs Tanner Houck (3-1, 5.34 ERA)
Bailey Falter really struggled last night, but it’s not as if Taijuan Walker has been much better. He’s coming off of his worst start since joining the Phillies, having given up 6 runs in 3 innings against the Dodgers. He’s back home, but the Red Sox do maintain a 5.68 ERA against him, perhaps hinting at another tough day of sledding.
On the other side of things, Tanner Houck has faced similar difficulties to Walker. He gave up 6 runs to the Blue Jays in his most recent start and 4 to the Orioles along with 7 hits. He’s also given up 2 homers in his last 3 games so there could be some upside on betting a Phillies slugger.
Phillies vs Red Sox Betting preview
The good news is that Bryce Harper is back in the lineup. The bad news is that the rest of the batters around him seem to have hit an ice-cold patch over the last week or so. With the exceptions of Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh, who have both been brilliant this year, the Phils batting order has regressed somewhat over the last couple of series, and with the pitching struggling, the firepower just hasn’t been able to give them an offensive edge.
Boston, on the other hand, has now won 8 consecutive games and is flying effortlessly. Their batting average ranks second in all of baseball and that number has risen to .309 over the last 3 games. They’re also averaging 11 hits per game in that span, making like very difficult for Taijuan Walker, who as aforementioned, has hardly been clinical against the Red Sox in the past.
Phillies vs Red Sox Betting picks
This game is simple for me. Walker is struggling, Boston’s red-hot at the plate. The Phillies are struggling but face a much easier pitching opponent. The over/under is sitting at 9.5, but one team could surpass that alone if we’re subjected to another poor day at the mound from either pitcher. Taking the over feels safe here.
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AP Photo/Matt Rourke
