Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians Prediction, 8/28/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians

Date: Saturday, August 28, 2021

Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

TV: SportsTime Ohio

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (-172) Cleveland (+135)

Nathan Eovaldi and the Boston Red Sox (73-56, 3rd in AL East) are headed to Progressive Field on Saturday where they'll meet the Cleveland Indians (63-62, 2nd in AL Central). The Indians open this game at +135 while the Red Sox are coming in at -172. The O/U is set at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start are Nathan Eovaldi and Cal Quantrill.

The Red Sox have hit 267 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 169 balls out of the park. Boston has a slugging rate of .446 and have been called out on strikes 1,089 times, while taking a walk on 396 occasions. As a squad, the Boston Red Sox are putting up 5.1 runs per contest, which has them at 4th in the league. They have tallied 618 RBI's in addition to 1,130 hits this season, and their batting average is sitting at .260. They have earned a total of 655 runs and hold an OBP of .326.

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The Red Sox have an earned run average of 4.30 for the year (15th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 1,209 batters. They have walked 435 players from the other team and their FIP comes in at 3.94 as a unit on the year. Their K/BB ratio is 2.78 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.39. Red Sox pitchers have given up 138 home runs and 593 runs in total (16th in MLB).

The Red Sox relievers have a save percentage of 66.7% and has entered the game in 137 save situations. The relievers have inherited 206 runners for the year with 30.1% of those runners crossed the plate. Red Sox bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 132 times in addition to having 139 appearances in high leverage situations. The Red Sox have sent 433 relief pitchers to the hill for the season. The bullpen have notched 75 holds this season (5th in baseball). They have compiled 38 saves on the year and have blown 19 of 57 save opportunities.

The Boston Red Sox are sitting with 3,376 putouts on the year, in addition to 1,131 assists and 87 errors. Their fielding rate is currently at .981 which ranks 29th in professional baseball, and have 896 double plays. The Red Sox have converted 65.6% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 10,128 innings on the field, ranking them 30th in professional baseball.

Eovaldi (60-64 mark in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 3.82 and he has faced 4,736 hitters in the majors. He has conceded 1,154 base hits (9.3 hits per nine innings) and has had 327 walks. His earned run average is 4.20 (518 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.333. Eovaldi has taken the mound for 1,111 frames and is sitting with 909 strikeouts so far in his pro baseball career.

The Cleveland Indians have accounted for an on-base percentage of .304 in addition to a team batting average of .237 over the course of the season. They have been rung up on 1,058 occasions (23rd in MLB) and have tallied 976 base hits. Cleveland has knocked in 161 home runs so far this season to go along with 532 runs batted in. The Indians hold a team slugging percentage of .410 and they are scoring 4.45 runs per outing (16th in MLB). They have put up 191 doubles, while walking 359 times and earning 556 runs.

The Indians hold a team WHIP of 1.293 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.36 as a squad over the course of the season. They are currently ranked 9th in baseball as a staff in total hits given up with 985. The Cleveland pitching staff have yielded 570 runs on the campaign while having an ERA of 4.40 (533 earned runs allowed). Their K/BB ratio is 2.63 (1,116 strikeouts against 424 walks). They have conceded 162 homers and they concede 4.71 runs per 9 innings (15th in the league).

Cleveland bullpen pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 35.9% out of 167 inherited base runners. Their relievers have come in 135 times in high leverage situations and also on 115 occasions with runners on base. With 106 save situations, the Indians have earned 55 holds in addition to 16 blown saves. They are ranked 7th in the league with a save percentage of 66.7%, and they have sent 418 bullpen pitchers to the mound this season. Cleveland has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 48 save chances and they have earned 32 saves.

Out of their 9,813 innings played, the Indians have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (12th in MLB). The Cleveland Indians have turned 104 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .985 (17th in the majors). The Indians have recorded 1,084 assists, 68 errors and are sitting with 3,271 putouts during this campaign.

Quantrill (12-10 win-loss mark in his career) has a 3.83 ERA and has conceded 8.6 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.90 and he has gone up against 1,036 opposing batters so far in his career. He has given up a total of 104 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.251 and a FIP of 4.0. During his MLB career, Quantrill has conceded 234 base knocks and he has 209 strikeouts in 244 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Boston (-172)

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