Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers

By Bush StaffUpdated 108d ago·2 min read
Boston Red SoxBOS(17-22)
Detroit TigersDET(18-20)
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DET
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The Tigers are 18-19 and somehow still in the AL Central conversation, which says less about Detroit and more about the Central. They're getting there with a rotation that's currently missing Tarik Skubal (loose bodies, elbow surgery, 2-3 months), Casey Mize, Justin Verlander, and Jackson Jobe. That's the entire playoff blueprint on ice, and now they're handing the ball to Jack Flaherty against a Sonny Gray team that just doesn't lose his starts.

Boston Red Sox
Sonny Gray
(5-1)·3.27 ERA
05/06 Lineup
Detroit Tigers
Jack Flaherty
(0-6)·5.94 ERA
05/06 Lineup
Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
(13)
  • Day-To-DayRanger Suarez (SP)Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Friday that Suarez's (hamstring) next start will come next week "sometime in the Philly series," Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
  • Day-To-DayHobie Harris (RP)Harris was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.05/08
  • 10-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF)The Red Sox placed Anthony (wrist) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to Tuesday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.05/08
  • 15-Day-ILJustin Slaten (RP)Slaten (oblique) allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning for Double-A Portland on Sunday.05/08
  • 15-Day-ILDanny Coulombe (RP)The Red Sox placed Coulombe on the 15-day injured list Monday with cervical spasms.05/08
  • 15-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP)Crochet (shoulder) was able to play catch Sunday for the first time since landing on the injured list Wednesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
  • 15-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP)Crawford has been diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow following an MRI, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
  • OutBrendan Rodgers (2B)Rodgers (shoulder) re-signed Friday with the Red Sox on a two-year, minor-league contract, Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B)The Red Sox transferred Casas (abdomen/knee) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILRomy Gonzalez (1B)The Red Sox placed Gonzalez (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP)Houck (elbow) began a throwing program Monday with 25 throws from 45 feet, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILPatrick Sandoval (SP)The Red Sox transferred Sandoval (biceps/elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP)Oviedo (elbow) will be reevaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in two weeks to determine his progress, Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com reports.05/08
Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
(16)
  • Day-To-DayMax Anderson (2B)Anderson has gone 4-for-7 with two home runs, two walks and one stolen base over three rehab games for Single-A Lakeland since Triple-A Toledo placed him on its 7-day injured list April 5 due to an unspecified injury.05/05
  • Day-To-DayJosue Briceno (C)Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.05/01
  • 10-Day-ILGleyber Torres (2B)The Tigers placed Torres on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a left oblique strain, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.05/06
  • 10-Day-ILJavier Baez (SS)The Tigers placed Baez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right ankle sprain.04/29
  • 15-Day-ILTarik Skubal (SP)Skubal is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles to remove bone chips from his left elbow, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.05/06
  • 15-Day-ILJustin Verlander (SP)Verlander (hip) threw a bullpen session Sunday at close to full intensity, MLB.com reports.05/04
  • 15-Day-ILWill Vest (RP)Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Vest is "not at 100 percent" physically, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.05/02
  • 15-Day-ILCasey Mize (SP)Mize was removed from Tuesday's game against Atlanta with an apparent injury, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.04/29
  • 15-Day-ILConnor Seabold (RP)Detroit moved Seabold to the 15-day IL on Sunday due to left ankle inflammation, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.04/26
  • SuspensionFramber Valdez (SP)Valdez's six-game suspension was reduced to five games Wednesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.05/06
  • 60-Day-ILBeau Brieske (RP)Brieske (adductor) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Lakeland on Tuesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.05/05
  • 60-Day-ILTroy Melton (RP)Melton (elbow) yielded two runs (one earned) on two hits and no walks while striking out two batters over 1.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Single-A Lakeland.05/04
  • 60-Day-ILJackson Jobe (SP)Jobe (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.04/28
  • 60-Day-ILBailey Horn (RP)The Tigers transferred Horn (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.04/22
  • 60-Day-ILParker Meadows (CF)Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Meadows underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a left radius fracture and will be sidelined "multiple months," Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.04/14
  • 60-Day-ILTrey Sweeney (SS)The Tigers transferred Sweeney (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.04/11

Flaherty has been a problem. He's 0-2 with a 5.90 ERA across 7 starts, and the underlying number that should scare you is the 25 walks against 32 strikeouts. That's not bad luck, that's a guy who can't find the plate. Comerica is a forgiving park, but it doesn't bail you out of free passes. Gray, meanwhile, is 2-1 and the Red Sox have covered the spread in 3 of his 5 starts, which is the kind of stat that pops in a 1.5-run favorite spot.

Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
(17-22)
WWWLW
Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
(18-20)
WWLLL

Boston's the chaos team here. They fired Alex Cora on April 25 after a 10-17 start and handed the interim job to Chad Tracy from Triple-A Worcester. New voice, new energy, Rafaela coming up clutch off the bench earlier in the series — this isn't the lifeless team Cora was running. They're playing like a group that knows the leash is short on everyone.

The market has Boston as a -108 favorite on the line and -1.5 at +160 on the spread, with the total sitting at 8.5. The DK splits are loud on the home side — 67% of the spread bets are on Detroit getting the +1.5 — and yet the EV grades it a fade either way. That tracks. With Flaherty's command and a Tigers lineup down Gleyber Torres (side), Javier Baez, and Parker Meadows, the path to a blowout is real, but so is the path to a 5-3 grinder where the +1.5 cashes.

Best bet here isn't really a bet, it's a watch. If Flaherty walks the ballpark in the first 3 innings, this gets ugly fast. If he locates, Comerica plays big and the under is live. The Tigers absolutely have to find a way to steal this one because the schedule gets meaner before Skubal walks back through the door.

MLBBoston Red SoxDetroit TigersPolymarketKalshiSonny GrayJack Flaherty
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