Down the September stretch for the MLB season, everything is on the line for the Boston Red Sox. They’re in the middle of the Wild Card picture while remaining in the race for the AL East division title. Taking care of these games against the Athletics will be crucial to deciding their playoff fate.
The Red Sox enter as -172 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at nine runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this Red Sox vs. Athletics matchup.
Red Sox vs. Athletics prediction, preview
This is the rebound game for Garrett Crochet. After allowing a season-high seven earned runs over six innings against the Cleveland Guardians, the Cy Young hopeful needs to lock it down. Not only for his own award ambitions, the Red Sox need him to be his best self going into the playoff stretch.
It’s been a flat-out dominant debut season in Boston for the left-hander. Armed with an electric fastball, the development of his breaking pitches (primarily cutter/sinker/sweeper) has taken his talents to a new level. Crochet is in the top quartile amongst starters in expected ERA, strikeout rate, walk rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and ground ball rate. In short, he can get you out any way he wants. That’s going to be a problem for these Athletics hitters, despite their success in the past few weeks.
His opposite number, Luis Morales, has his work cut out for him. The No. 4 prospect in the A’s system and No. 100 in all of baseball, Morales is still getting his feet wet in the majors. But don’t be fooled by his 1.59 ERA through six games; he’s giving up a ton of hard contact, not missing bats, and struggling with command. Eventually, that will come home to roost.
Playing at home against a certified ace, this matchup is too much for Morales. It’s time for that hard contact to create some negative results.
