Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 7/31/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Saturday, July 31, 2021

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+100) Tampa Bay (-125)

Tropicana Field is the venue where Ryan Yarbrough and the Tampa Bay Rays (61-42, 2nd in AL East) will take on the Boston Red Sox (63-41, 1st in AL East) on Saturday. The Rays open this game at -125 while the Red Sox are priced at +100. The O/U opens at 8. The men taking the mound are Nathan Eovaldi and Ryan Yarbrough.

Boston is slugging .441 and have been rung up 897 times, while taking a walk on 299 occasions. They have tallied 488 runs batted in and 899 hits so far this year, and their average at the plate is sitting at .256. The Red Sox have recorded 223 doubles as a team and have hit 132 baseballs out of the stadium. They have earned a total of 520 runs while having a team on-base percentage of .320. As a squad, the Boston Red Sox are scoring 5.0 runs per game, which puts them at 4th in the league.

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The Red Sox have compiled a team earned run average of 4.13 on the year (14th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 963 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 354 hitters and their FIP comes in at 3.90 as a squad so far this season. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.72 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.38. Red Sox pitchers have conceded 107 long balls and 463 runs in total (16th in baseball).

The Red Sox have dispatched 343 relief pitchers to the hill this year. The relief pitchers have inherited 158 base runners over the course of the season with 30.4% of those runners crossed home plate. They have earned 34 saves on the campaign and have blown 15 of their 49 save opportunities. The Red Sox relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 69.4% and has stepped onto the mound in 118 save situations. The relievers have accumulated 65 holds over the course of the season (4th in baseball). Red Sox bullpen pitchers have entered the game with runners on 101 times and also have had 118 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Boston Red Sox have notched a total of 2,746 putouts on the year, in addition to 942 assists and 68 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .982 which is 26th in baseball, and have accumulated 729 double plays. The Red Sox have turned 65.9% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 8,238 innings, ranking them 30th in pro baseball.

Eovaldi (59-61 career win-loss mark) holds a FIP of 3.81 and he has gone up against 4,614 opposing batters in the majors. He has given up 1,126 base hits (9.4 hits per 9 innings) and has 322 walks. His ERA is 4.18 (503 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.338. Eovaldi has thrown 1,082 frames and is sitting with 876 punch outs in his MLB career.

Tampa Bay has recorded 130 long balls this season as well as 486 RBIs. They have put up 178 two-baggers, while getting a free base 386 times and recording 512 runs. The Tampa Bay Rays have earned a team on-base percentage of .316 in addition to a team batting average of .233 so far this year. The Rays hold a slugging percentage of .403 and they are scoring 4.97 runs per contest (5th in baseball). They have been rung up on 1,035 occasions (1st in MLB) and have recorded 813 base knocks.

The Rays hold a team WHIP of 1.138 with a FIP of 3.68 as a squad so far this season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 3.45 (973 strikeouts against 282 bases on balls). They come in at 10th in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 774. They have allowed 114 HR's and they relinquish 3.97 runs per 9 innings (5th in MLB). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have allowed 409 runs this season while holding a team ERA of 3.52 (363 earned runs conceded).

Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 40 save opportunities and they have walked away with 27 saves. They sit at 6th in MLB holding a save rate of 67.5%, and they have dispatched 330 bullpen pitchers to the mound over the course of the season. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 127 times in high leverage situations and on 88 occasions with runners on. Tampa Bay relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 31.1% out of their 106 inherited runners. Sitting with 100 save situations, the Rays have 58 holds in addition to 13 blown saves.

In 8,352 innings played, the Rays are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 70.9% (6th in baseball). The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 87 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (6th in the majors). The Rays have accrued 888 assists, 53 errors and have accumulated 2,784 putouts this season.

During his career, Yarbrough has allowed 425 base knocks and he has 379 K's in 453 innings pitched. He has conceded 204 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.162 and being the owner of a FIP of 3.9. His K/BB ratio is 3.72 and he has gone up against 1,881 hitters during his pro baseball career. Yarbrough (34-20 record in his career) has earned a 4.05 ERA while allowing 8.4 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-125)

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