Boston (40-19) at Houston (37-23)
When: Sunday, June 3rd 2018
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX
Time: 7:35 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Houston -168/8
The Houston Astros five-game home winning streak came to an end on Saturday, so they will try and start another one when they finish-up a four-game weekend series with the first-place Boston Red Sox on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Boston maintained their half-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East with a 5-4 triumph over the Astros on Saturday. Andrew Benintendi snapped a tie with a two-run bomb in the seventh inning and J.D. Martinez increased his major league-leading total to 50 RBIs with two in the victory, avoiding a potential sweep. Martinez boasts nine RBIs in his last eight games and Benintendi is 13-for-31 with 10 RBIs in the same span for Boston, which has won 10 of its last 14 and is 20-11 on the road. Rick Porcello looks to bounce back from a rough May when he takes the mound for the Red Sox on Sunday against the unbeaten Charlie Morton. Houston has dropped five of its last eight games overall and are now percentage points behind the surprising Seattle Mariners in the AL West, who they will play next week. First baseman Yuli Gurriel had two hits in Saturday’s loss and takes a nine-game hitting streak into the series finale for the Astros, going 14-for-39 with five RBIs during the stretch. Second baseman Jose Altuve is 18-for-38 over his last nine games with six extra-base hits and seven RBIs. On the injury-front, Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia (left knee) returned to the 10-day disabled list Saturday after playing just three games, while Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez left the game in the third inning with right knee soreness and is questionable for Sunday.
Pitchers: Red Sox – Rick Porcello (7-2, 3.65 ERA) | Astros – Charlie Morton (7-0, 2.26)
Porcello got off to a great start this season, recording six quality starts in his first seven outings but has just two in five starts since, including Tuesday when he limited Toronto to two earned runs over 6.2 innings in a victory. The former Cy Young winner a 2.23 ERA through the end of April, but posted a 5.35 mark in May even though he won three of five decisions. Porcello is 1-1 in three career games against the Astros.
Morton is coming off a no-decision against the Yankees on Tuesday, extending his regular-season unbeaten streak to 14 games after allowing three runs on eight hits with 10 strikeouts over six innings. Morton has allowed more than three runs once in 11 starts this season and completed at least six innings nine times. He is 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA in two career games versus Boston.
This is another great pitching matchup between these two teams and I expect Morton to be really good. He not only has a great mark against the Red Sox, but five of his seven starts at home have gone under the total and he has a 1.85 ERA at Minute Maid Park this season. I can see this game staying under eight runs.
Pick: UNDER 8 -115
BETTING TRENDS:
- Red Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 Sunday games.
- Red Sox are 20-8 in their last 28 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games on grass.
- Red Sox are 44-19 in their last 63 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Red Sox are 39-18 in their last 57 overall.
- Red Sox are 1-4 in their last 5 vs. American League West.
- Red Sox are 7-2 in Porcello’s last 9 starts on grass.
- Red Sox are 7-3 in Porcello’s last 10 road starts.
- Red Sox are 7-3 in Porcello’s last 10 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Red Sox are 11-5 in Porcello’s last 16 starts.
- Red Sox are 4-10 in Porcello’s last 14 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Red Sox are 2-6 in Porcello’s last 8 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Astros are 37-14 in their last 51 home games.
- Astros are 41-16 in their last 57 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 43-18 in their last 61 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Astros are 7-3 in their last 10 Sunday games.
- Astros are 16-7 in their last 23 overall.
- Astros are 16-7 in their last 23 games on grass.
- Astros are 9-3 in Morton’s last 12 home starts.
- Astros are 8-3 in Morton’s last 11 starts vs. American League East.
- Under is 5-0 in Red Sox last 5 during game 4 of a series.
- Over is 6-1 in Red Sox last 7 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Over is 6-1 in Red Sox last 7 overall.
- Under is 6-1 in Red Sox last 7 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 6-1 in Red Sox last 7 on grass.
- Over is 5-1 in Red Sox last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 7-2 in Red Sox last 9 road games.
- Under is 20-6 in Red Sox last 26 Sunday games.
- Under is 6-0 in Porcello’s last 6 Sunday starts.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Porcello’s last 5 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Porcello’s last 4 starts on grass.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Porcello’s last 5 starts overall.
- Under is 10-4 in Porcello’s last 14 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 11-5 in Porcello’s last 16 road starts.
- Over is 5-0-1 in Astros last 6 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Over is 4-0 in Astros last 4 during game 4 of a series.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Astros last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 6-2-1 in Astros last 9 overall.
- Under is 21-7-1 in Astros last 29 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 6-2-1 in Astros last 9 on grass.
- Under is 18-7-3 in Astros last 28 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 5-2-1 in Astros last 8 Sunday games.
- Under is 10-4 in Astros last 14 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 10-4 in Astros last 14 home games.
- Under is 5-1 in Morton’s last 6 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 9-2 in Morton’s last 11 home starts.
- Under is 6-2 in Morton’s last 8 starts vs. American League East.
- Over is 5-2 in Morton’s last 7 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Over is 5-2 in Morton’s last 7 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Houston.
- Over is 24-11 in the last 35 meetings.
- Red Sox are 1-6 in the last 7 meetings.
- Red Sox are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings in Houston.
