Texas Rangers vs Boston Red Sox Prediction, Odds and Preview - 08/21/2021

Game Time: 7:10 pm ET, Saturday, August 21st, 2021

Venue:  Fenway Park, Boston Massachusetts 

Where to Watch:  Bally Sports Southwest, NESN, MLB (out of market only)

Rangers:  42-79 (last place AL West)
Red Sox:  69-54 (3rd place AL East)

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Texas +270, Boston --350; Over/Under:  9.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Texas +250 Boston -320; Over/Under 10 runs

Rangers:  Will Calhoun (forearm) Out 
Red Sox:  Christian Arroyo (hamstring) Out

Rangers:

Y. Hernandez, 2B
I. Kiner-Falefa, SS
A. Garcia, RF
N. Lowe, 1B
J. Heim, C
D. Peters, CF
B. Holt, 3B
A. Ibanez, DH
J. Martin, LF
S. Howard, SP

Red Sox:

E. Hernandez, 2B
H. Renfroe, CF
X. Bogaerts, SS
R. Devers, 3B
J. Martinez, RF
K. Plawecki, DH
A. Verdugo, LF
B. Dalbec, 1B
C. Vazquez, C
N. Pivetta, SP

Rangers:

Batting Average:  Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.260)

Hits: Isiah Kiner-Falefa (125)

Home Runs:  Adolis Garcia (27)

RBI:  Adolis Garcia (71)

Stolen Bases:  Isiah Kiner (16)

Wins:  John King (7)

Saves:  Ian Kennedy (16)

ERA:  Mike Foltynewicz (5.54)

Red Sox:

Batting Average:  Xander Bogaerts (.307)

Hits:  Xander Bogaerts (129)

Home Runs: Rafael Devers (29)

RBI:  Rafael Devers (89)

Stolen Bases:  Christian Vazquez (8)

Wins:  Nathan Eovaldi (10)

Saves:  Matt Barnes (24)

ERA:  Nathan Eovaldi (3.91)

Managers:

Rangers: Chris Woodward
Red Sox: Alex Cora

The Texas Rangers are 3-7 over their last ten games.  Logging 4 Unders and 6 Overs.  They are a cellar dweller team this year and are playing like it.  The full list of roster names for the Rangers is like a French restaurant menu to me ... I only recognize a couple things and those I don’t want.

The Boston Red Sox are 4-6 over their last ten.  Logging 5 Unders and 5 Overs. 

If you  followed the Red Sox as recently as July, you thought they had 2nd place in the AL East standings wrapped up with a chance to challenge the Tampa Bay Rays for first place… just a month later the Sox have swooned.  The New York Yankees took from them a head to head sweep and the Red Sox fell to third place in the division.  The Toronto Blue Jays are just behind them and surging.  If it weren’t for the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox would have come out of this run of divisional opponents completely without Hope.

The Rangers are 29th in team batting average .223, 29th in runs scored, and 24th in Home Runs 132.  Their home park must be one of those friendly home run hitting spots?... Just kidding, 132 homers is still really bad.

The Rangers Pitchers are 25th in team ERA 4.71, 29th in strikeouts 942,... they are 6th in the league in Home Runs given up 172, the sixth most. The pitchers aren’t good.

The Red Sox are 3rd in batting average .259, 6th in runs scored 611, and 9th in home runs 156.  There are quality batters throughout the lineup. 

The Red Sox pitchers are where they drop off a little bit 16th in ERA 4.30 (average), 7th in strikeouts 1147, and 24th in home runs given up 131.  If the Red Sox could find another high quality starter to go with Nathan Eovaldi… they wouldn’t be on the outside looking in.  They have the offense, need to bolster this defense.  

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The Rex Sox are plummeting this August. They can thank the schedule makers that the Rangers are here to give them a soft place to land and gather their bearings.  From the first pitch of most Ranger games it becomes readily apparent that you’ll only need a little offense to beat them.  Nobody will post much about the Rangers on Facebook and Twitter..Groupies won’t be hounding the local hotels for the Rangers on Friday, and they won’t be there to see them off Sunday.  The three games in between will be like medicine for the ailing Red Sox.

Righty Jordan Lyles is the projected starting pitcher for the Rangers, 5-10, 5.55 ERA, 105 strikeouts in 131 inning pitched, 1.48 WHIP.  Jordan is 49-76 since his MLB debut in 2011.  The 6’5 230lb 30 year old seems more suited as a middle reliever, or even a junior college coach, but then at the end of the season with nothing left to play for you might as well burn this arm.

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez 9-6, 4.97 ERA, 145 strikeouts in 116 innings pitched 1.36 WHIP.  Eduardo has solid career stats (they are slightly down this year) since making his debut in 2015.  The 28 year old should be able to handle the Rangers lineup, like most everyone else has.

Notable quotes:

"It's very quiet in the clubhouse, and understandably so,...It's not a good feeling." -Red Sox manager Alex Cora about being swept by rival Yankees and jumped in the standings.

"A roller coaster of emotions,...I was really proud of us for fighting back. Obviously, we didn't play a very good game up to that point. Early on I thought, ‘Wow, this is one of our worst games.' And somehow we were still in the game and fought back in the ninth inning." -Rangers manager Chris Woodward said about a close loss to the Seattle Mariners…. As he thumbed through a book on How to Write Resumes. 

You would get a big return if you bet on the Rangers with the moneyline… but their odds of winning this one is very low.  Take the Sox.  

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