Barstool Bush
Predictions

Boston Red Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates

By Bush StaffUpdated 7d ago·2 min read
Boston Red SoxBOS(65-56)
Pittsburgh PiratesPIT(59-64)
4—8
FINAL
123456789RHE
BOS
000020101491
PIT
01033010—891

Jake Bennett and Bubba Chandler made for an interesting stylistic clash on paper: a veteran-ish Boston righty with a respectable ERA against a 23-year-old Pittsburgh arm who's been finding his footing. First pitch went off at 6:40 PM ET, with Chandler carrying real momentum into the start.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Red Sox(65-56)
WLLLL
4
Pirates(59-64)
WLLLW
8
Best BetRed Sox -144
Postgame

This one didn't come close. Bennett never settled in and Pittsburgh built an 8-1 lead by the 5th, exactly the kind of early hole the bear case worried about with Boston's bullpen already stretched. The late rally that got it to 8-4 showed the lineup could still hit, but the pick needed a full 9 innings from Bennett or an early answer, and got neither.

Pregame

The Red Sox are favored here, and the price reflects a team that's still fundamentally better than one stuck in a brutal stretch since the All-Star break. Boston's lineup has Jarren Duran heating up and the season-long track record to back it, even with a beat-up bullpen. Pittsburgh's ace-in-the-making gives them a puncher's chance, but backing the favorite makes sense against a club still finding its footing.

Chandler had rattled off five straight starts allowing 3 earned runs or fewer, punctuated by back-to-back 5-strikeout outings, most recently 6 shutout innings against the Mets. Bennett, meanwhile, was looking to bounce back from a rough turn against the Athletics where he lasted just 5.1 innings. Both staffs were shorthanded in their own ways — Boston's rotation has been gutted by injuries all year, while Pittsburgh is still without its ace.

Jake Bennett
Jake Bennett
(7-6)·3.46 ERA
Aug 8 vs Athletics
L
5.1IP
4ER
5K
3BB
88P
08/14 Lineup
Bubba Chandler
Bubba Chandler
(6-8)·4.38 ERA
Aug 8 vs Mets
W
6.0IP
0ER
5K
1BB
85P
08/14 Lineup

Neither team came in fully healthy, and that context mattered more than the coin-flip price on the moneyline suggested. The Red Sox bullpen took a fresh hit this week, while the Pirates' lineup is still missing key everyday pieces — the kind of subtraction that shapes a game late more than it shows up on a scoreboard graphic.

Pittsburgh did its damage in chunks — a run in the 2nd, three in the 4th, and three more in the 5th built an 8-1 cushion before Boston could get anything going. The Red Sox didn't fold, though: they scratched across 2 in the 5th, added a run in the 7th and another in the 9th to make it a game, but the deficit was too much to climb out of. Both teams finished with 9 hits and an error apiece — a tighter game than the final score let on, just not tight at the finish.

Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
(65-56)
Aug 13W@ Blue Jays7-0
Aug 12L@ Blue Jays4-6
Aug 11L@ Blue Jays3-5
Aug 10L@ Blue Jays1-2
Aug 9Lvs Athletics3-4
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
(59-64)
Aug 13W@ Marlins13-1
Aug 12L@ Marlins2-8
Aug 11L@ Marlins0-2
Aug 9Lvs Mets1-11
Aug 8Wvs Mets9-0

Boston had dropped 4 straight against Toronto before salvaging the finale of that series 7-0, so Friday was a chance to show that result meant something more than a one-off. Instead the Red Sox spotted Pittsburgh a big early lead and spent the rest of the night playing catch-up. The Pirates, for their part, backed up their own series-ending blowout — a 13-1 rout of Miami — with another complete performance from top to bottom.

Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
(11)
  • 10-Day-ILCurtis Mead (3B) — Mead has a nondisplaced left wrist fracture and will be reimaged in four weeks, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.07/31
  • 15-Day-ILGarrett Whitlock (RP) — The Red Sox placed Whitlock on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right elbow inflammation, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.08/13
  • 60-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Tuesday that Anthony (finger) is "getting closer" to a rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.08/12
  • 60-Day-ILIsiah Kiner-Falefa (2B) — The Red Sox transferred Kiner-Falefa (forearm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.08/11
  • 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — Casas (abdomen/knee) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Thursday.08/06
  • 60-Day-ILTrevor Story (SS) — Story (sports hernia) will be re-evaluated at the end of the team's current homestand to determine when he can begin a rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.08/06
  • 60-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said Tuesday that Crochet (lat/shoulder) has resumed throwing from 50-to-60 feet on flat ground, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.08/04
  • 60-Day-ILZack Kelly (RP) — The Red Sox recalled Kelly (elbow) from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/21
  • 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) has started throwing two bullpen sessions per week, MLB.com reports.07/17
  • 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will throw a bullpen session next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/17
  • 60-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — The Red Sox announced June 29 that Crawford (forearm) has been throwing plyometric balls during workouts at the team's spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.07/06
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
(6)
  • PaternityYohan Ramirez (RP) — The Pirates placed Ramirez on the paternity leave list Friday.08/14
  • 10-Day-ILEndy Rodriguez (C) — The Pirates placed Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list Thursday with left hip inflammation.08/13
  • 10-Day-ILRyan O'Hearn (RF) — The Pirates placed O'Hearn on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left quad strain, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.08/01
  • 60-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Cruz (hand) will remain on his rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona at least through the weekend, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.08/14
  • 60-Day-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — The Pirates announced July 31 that Griffin (finger) has resumed participating in baseball activities, including playing catch and taking right-handed swings against a Trajekt machine, MLB.com reports.08/10
  • 60-Day-ILMitch Keller (SP) — The Pirates placed Keller on the 60-day injured list Monday due to a right arm teres major muscle injury.08/03

Both rosters are stretched thin enough that Friday's box score only tells part of the story. Boston is still waiting on Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Garrett Crochet, and just lost Garrett Whitlock to the injured list this week. Pittsburgh is missing its top starter in Mitch Keller for the year and is piecing things together in the outfield with Oneil Cruz still on a rehab assignment. Whichever team gets healthier first probably has more staying power for the stretch run.

Sources

MLBBoston Red SoxPittsburgh PiratesPolymarketKalshiJake BennettBubba Chandler