Boston Red Sox vs Arizona Diamondbacks Picks and Predictions August 24th 2024

From Fenway Park in Boston, we have the Diamondbacks and Red Sox facing off in an interleague matchup. This one is getting started at 4:10 PM ET, and the forecast calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.

Arizona is currently on a four-game winning streak, and they are 73-56 overall. The Red Sox are 3rd in the AL East with a record of 67-60. Boston is favored on the money line today, with the odds sitting at -112 compared to the Diamondbacks at -107. Today’s over/under line is at 9.5 runs.

Arizona vs. Boston Key Information

Right-hander Zac Gallen gets the start for the Diamondbacks today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 9-6 with a 3.85 ERA. Gallen’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.32, and opponents are batting .245 off him this year. In his last outing, Gallen took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had turned in three straight outings with a no-decision. Gallen has made nine quality starts this year and is averaging 8.35 strikeouts per nine innings.

Arizona comes into the game as the league’s top-scoring offense, averaging 5.3 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.5 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .261, which is the second-best mark in the league, and also have the MLB’s top on-base percentage and OPS. Arizona also has the 7th most home runs in the league.

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Ketel Marte has been the Diamondbacks’ top power threat this season, as his 30 homers are 8th in the league, and he also leads the team with 81 RBIs. Marte is batting .298 for the season. Christian Walker is also a power threat in the lineup, as he has 23 homers and 71 RBIs. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak and has gone 12/32 over his last nine games.

Kutter Crawford is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Orioles, where he took the loss. In that start, he gave up three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Looking back across his last four outings, Crawford has alternated between wins and losses. His record for the season is 8-10, and he has an ERA of 4.25. Opponents are batting .220 this season vs. Crawford. The right-hander has made 25 starts, 11 of which were quality starts. Crawford’s ERA at home is 4.62 compared to 4.64 on the road.

One of the top offenses in the league, the Red Sox are 4th in runs scored this season at 5 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 2nd in team batting average at .261 and have the league’s best BABIP at .32. Not only are they one of the top home run-hitting teams in the league, but they also don’t strike out much, as they are 28th in the league in strikeouts.

Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida have been swinging the bat well for the Red Sox, with Duran hitting .316 over his last nine games and Yoshida batting .448 over the same stretch. Duran has also gone deep three times in his last nine games. Rafael Devers and Tyler O’Neill are two of the league’s top home run hitters, with Devers leading the Red Sox with 27 homers and O’Neill coming in with 22.

Today’s Diamondbacks vs. Red Sox matchup has the 5th highest combined runs projection and the 5th highest hits projection. Our lean would be towards taking the over. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Red Sox to pick up the win. Boston’s offense has the 4th highest home run projection, and Kutter Crawford is 10th to pick up a win.

Diamondbacks Aim for Series Victory Against Red Sox

The Arizona Diamondbacks are on a hot streak, and their powerful offense shows no signs of slowing down. On Saturday afternoon, they’ll look to extend their winning streak to five games as they take on the Boston Red Sox in the second game of a three-game series. Arizona’s bats were on full display in Friday’s series opener, where they secured a commanding 12-2 victory over Boston, further cementing their reputation as one of the most potent offenses in the league.

Arizona entered the series leading the majors in runs scored, and Friday’s game was a perfect example of why. The Diamondbacks racked up 16 hits, including a grand slam by Eugenio Suarez that effectively put the game out of reach in the seventh inning. The slam was Arizona’s ninth of the season, the most in the majors, and marked Suarez’s fifth grand slam in his 11-year career.

Boston manager Alex Cora acknowledged the challenge of facing Suarez, stating:

“Cutter in the middle of the zone. He’s a dead-pull hitter, and he’s gonna look to do damage with something close to him. He got a cutter in the middle, and he didn’t miss it. He’s one of these guys that you look at the numbers … average and all that stuff he’s not usually up there, but RBIs — that’s what he does. He got a good pitch to hit and drove it.”

Suarez and Bell Lead the Charge

Eugenio Suarez wasn’t the main Diamondback to sparkle in Friday’s success. He and Josh Chime each recorded three hits, with Suarez driving in five runs and scoring multiple times. Their commitments were pivotal in Arizona’s hostile blast, as the team kept on demonstrating its ability to score runs in packs.

The Diamondbacks also received a strong performance from starting pitcher Ryne Nelson, who pitched six solid innings to earn the win. Nelson’s outing came on the same day that Arizona manager Torey Lovullo announced a significant change to the team’s pitching rotation. Lovullo decided to keep Nelson in the rotation while moving Jordan Montgomery, a proven veteran with a World Series title under his belt, to the bullpen.

“Can’t let that change anything,” Nelson said about the news. “Have to stay with my process and go out there and give this team the best chance to win.”

Nelson has been impressive lately, posting a 4-0 record with a 2.76 ERA over his last 10 appearances (62 innings). His consistency and ability to keep the Diamondbacks in games have made him a key part of Arizona’s recent success.

Lovullo acknowledged that the decision to move Montgomery to the bullpen was one of the toughest he’s had to make since becoming the Diamondbacks’ manager in 2017:

“It’s been about as tough a decision as I’ve had to make since I’ve become the manager here. Jordan Montgomery’s reputation obviously spoke for itself when we signed him. He won a world championship, and he’s had some good moments. But with 34-35 games left in the season, I have to make these tough decisions in the best interest of this team. So as difficult as it was, I felt like he accepted it. He didn’t love the decision. He’s going to go to the bullpen and help us win games there.”

Gallen Takes the Mound Against Red Sox

As the Diamondbacks hope to get another triumph, they’ll send right-hander Zac Gallen to the hill on Saturday. Gallen, who has a 9-6 record with a 3.85 ERA, will confront the Red Sox without precedent for his career. Gallen’s consistency and ability to handle high-pressure situations will be crucial as Arizona proceeds with its push toward the postseason.

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Restricting Gallen will be Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford, who has had an all over season with a 8-10 record and a 4.25 ERA. Crawford has faced Arizona once previously, in May of last season, when he delivered areas of strength for a, not allowing a hit and striking out three more than 2 1/3 scoreless innings. The Red Sox will depend on Crawford to convey another strong excursion as they attempt to return from Friday’s disproportionate defeat.

Red Sox Seek to Turn Around Home Struggles

The Red Sox have had a peculiar season with regards to home and away games. While they’ve succeeded on the road with a 38-27 record, their performance at Fenway Park has been disappointing, with a 29-33 mark. The disparity stretches out to their pitching as well, with the team posting a 3.91 ERA in away games compared to a 4.51 ERA at home.

Boston outfielder Ransack Refsnyder acknowledged the requirement for the team to work on its play at home, especially with the loyal fan base proceeding to appear in help:

“We’ve been playing well on the road, but we’ve got to step it up at home especially with the fans still coming out and cheering us on. We owe the fans a lot better.”

In addition to their home battles, the Red Sox are dealing with a physical issue to outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who was a late scratch from Friday’s game because of an inflamed finger on his left hand. O’Neill has been a critical patron for Boston this season, batting .262 with 22 homers and 46 RBIs. Manager Alex Cora indicated that O’Neill is day-to-day and could get back to the setup soon:

“He should be OK. It’s day to day.”

As the Diamondbacks and Red Sox prepare to face off in the second game of the series, Arizona will be looking to keep its winning streak alive and continue its dominance at the plate, while Boston will aim to turn things around at home and give its fans something to cheer about. With both teams having much to play for, Saturday’s game promises to be an exciting matchup.