This matchup features two AL East division rivals as the Orioles travel to take on the Boston Red Sox in game two of a three-game series. Baltimore won game one on Friday by a score of 11-2. Will the Orioles extend their winning streak to seven games or will the Red Sox end their three-game losing streak? Let’s take a closer look at how these teams are fairing this season.

The Baltimore Orioles enter this game with a record of 89-51 which gives them the best record in the American League and gives them a four-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for 1^st place in the AL East. Baltimore has compiled a record of 6-1 in September and is on a six-game winning streak which includes an 11-2 win on the road against the Boston Red Sox in game one of the series on Friday. Four of the runs for the Orioles came in the 9^th inning which included Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson scoring off a base hit from Aaron Hicks.

The Boston Red Sox aren’t going to win the AL East as they enter this game with a record of 72-69 which puts them 17.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for 1^st place in the division. However, the Red Sox are only six games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The Red Sox have compiled a record of 3-4 in September and are on a three-game losing streak which includes Friday’s 2-11 loss at home against the Baltimore Orioles in game one of the series.

BookMaker has the Boston Red Sox listed as -142 money line favorites at home against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in game two of the series. Boston has won six of the last ten, however, both teams have averaged 6.4 runs per game over the last ten games while the Orioles have won two of the last three games by an average margin of 3.67 runs per game in the series. 

Boston has the advantage at pitcher on Saturday as the Red Sox will send Chris Sale to the mound while the Orioles will send Jack Flaherty to the mound for game two of the series. Sale is 6-3 this season with a 4.46 ERA while recording 101 strikeouts while Flaherty is 8-8 on the year with an ERA of 4.84 and has recorded 135 strikeouts.

Jack Flaherty is 0-1 with two no-decisions in his last three starts this season allowing a total of 14 runs and recording 13 strikeouts in those matchups with his last start coming on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks in which Flaherty allowed four runs and struck out seven in a no-decision.

In his last three starts this season, Chris Sale is 1-0 with two no-decisions while allowing seven runs and recording 20 strikeouts in those starts with his last start coming on the road against the Kansas City Royals in which Sale did not allow a run and struck out five batters in a win.

Chris Sale has been the better pitcher in his last three starts allowing an average of 2.33 runs and averaging 6.67 strikeouts per game while Jack Flaherty is allowing an average of 4.67 runs per game and 4.33 strikeouts per game. I look for that trend to continue in this matchup which is why I am taking the money line for the Boston Red Sox at -142 against the Baltimore Orioles at home in game two of the series on BookMaker.