MLB: DICE-K FAVORED TO EXTEND ALCS
Oddsmakers like the Boston Red Sox chances at extending the ALCS and heading back to Tampa Bay for a Game 6 on Saturday.
Behind starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox are a -150 favorite to win Thursday’s Game 5; the Tampa Bay Rays are a +140 with Scott Kazmir on the mound.
Check out the Live Odds, pick your side and place your bets here at Sportsbook.com. Then catch this game on TBS starting at 8 pm ET.
Matsuzaka shut the door on the Rays time and time again in Game 1 as he went seven scoreless innings to earn the victory. Tampa Bay threatened in several innings as Dice-K walked four batters and gave up four hits but the Boston pitcher made the big pitches at the right moments.
The 28-year-old star from Tokyo, Japan, struck out nine batters and got out of several situations in which the Rays could have taken a lead with a timely hit. That hit never came though and the Red Sox opened the series with a 2-0 win.
A lot has changed since the Game 1 start for Matsuzaka. Boston has dropped three straight games and now find themselves in a win or go home situation.
Red Sox pitchers have not found a way to get the key outs that Dice-K got in Game 1 and as a result, Tampa Bay has exploded for 31 runs in the three previous games and they are confident they can get to Matsuzaka on Thursday night.
“The last thing on our minds is going to be Dice-K,” first baseman Carlos Pena said. “We’re not going to focus on how he pitched last time. We want to go in there with the same approach. It doesn’t matter if Godzilla’s pitching.”
Rays manager Joe Maddon has elected to go with the lefty Kazmir in this contest, saving pitcher James Shields for a possible Game 6 at home. Shields pitches his best games at Tropicana Field and Maddon would prefer to keep that card in his back pocket.
Shields pitched very well in Game 1 despite taking the loss, going 7 1/3 innings and giving up just two runs on six hits.
Kazmir wasn’t so good in his ALCS appearance. The 24-year-old gave up five runs on six hits in just 4 1/3 innings in Game 2 and has a 6.52 ERA in two playoff outings. Both of his postseason starts have been relatively short as he went just 5 1/3 innings in his ALDS game against the Chicago White Sox.
The Rays’ starter is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA in 11 career starts at Fenway Park and Tampa Bay hitters will attempt to get him the run support they’ve given all their pitchers in the last three games.
For those interested in betting the Total, oddsmakers have taken the recent high scores into account and set
Thursday’s Total at 9 runs.
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