Orioles vs Red Sox Prediction, Pick and Preview, September 17 (9/17): MLB

Credit: photo by Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

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Preview

Tonight we have the Orioles taking on the Red Sox in Boston.  The Orioles come into this game firmly out of the playoffs as their pitching has once again been abysmal.  They'll look to give the Red Sox a tough time as they try to secure a wildcard spot.  The Red Sox enter this game with a wildcard spot in the AL, they sit 0.5 games ahead of the Yankees and will look to stregthen that lead tonight in a plus matchup against a bad Orioles team.

Pitching matchup

Orioles

Keegan Akin (2-9, 6.83 ERA) will be on the mound for the Orioles when they take on the Red Sox.  Akin enters this game with a 1.58 WHIP and 5.76 XFIP, both awful numbers.  This season he carries a low 18.9% strikeout rate along with an 8.6% walk rate.  Akin has been pretty much just a body in the rotation this season, he has been hit hard and gives up power to both sides of the plate.  His lack of strikeout stuff will get him in trouble tonight when he takes on a playoff hopefull team in the Red Sox who boasts some very good hitters against left handed pitching.  Akin will most likely be in for a rough night once again.

Red Sox

Chris Sale (3-0, 2.52 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Red Sox when they take on the visiting Orioles. Sale enters this game with a 1.40 WHIP and 3.08 XFIP. This season in the limited sample he carries a nice 27.5% strikeout rate along with a low 5.5% walk rate. Sale has been good since his return, going 25 innings, allowing 7 earned runs (4 homeruns), while striking out 30 hitters. He made his return this season against this Orioles team and during that outting he went 5 innings, striking out 8, while allowing 2 earned runs.  Sale comes in off a rough outting after Tampa Bay got to him for 10 hits in 3.2 innings (only allowed 1 earned run), he will look to bounce back and take care of a weak but good left handed hitting team in the Orioles. 

Prediction

I trust Sales ability to shut down this Orioles lineup and produce another good start.  Akin has been abysmal all year and the Red Sox should have no trouble producing runs and picking up an easy win tonight.

PICK: Red Sox -1.5 (-170)

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