Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Prediction, 5/31/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros

Date: Monday, May 31, 2021

Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX

TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (-101) Houston (-109)

Minute Maid Park is the venue where Luis Garcia and the Houston Astros (28-24, 2nd in AL West) will play the Boston Red Sox (32-20, 2nd in AL East) on Monday. The line on this contest has the Red Sox priced at -101 and the Astros are at -109. The over/under opens at 8.5. The expected starting pitchers will be Garrett Richards and Luis Garcia.

Boston has a slugging percentage of .447 and have struck out 455 times, while drawing a walk on 140 occasions. They have accumulated 246 runs batted in in addition to 459 hits this season, while their average at the plate is at .261. The Red Sox have hit 115 two-baggers as a team and have knocked 68 baseballs out of the stadium. They have racked up 267 runs and hold an OBP of .321. As a unit, the Boston Red Sox are notching 5.1 runs per game, which has them sitting at 3rd in the league.

The Red Sox hold a team earned run average of 3.85 on the season (13th in MLB), and they have rung up 490 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 175 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 3.39 as a squad over the course of the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.80 and the pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.32. Red Sox pitchers have yielded 38 home runs in addition to 213 runs in total (13th in baseball).

The Red Sox bullpen have earned a save percentage of 69.6% and has entered the game in 60 save situations. The relievers have inherited 72 runners on the season and 30.6% of them crossed the plate. Red Sox relief pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 47 times as well as having 68 appearances in high leverage situations. The Red Sox have dispatched 166 relievers to the mound for the season. The relief pitchers have notched 37 holds on the season (3rd in MLB). They have recorded 16 saves for the season and have blown 7 of their 23 chances to get a save.

The Boston Red Sox have earned 1,369 putouts thus far, in addition to 462 assists and 34 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .982 which has them sitting 22nd in pro baseball, and they have turned 363 double plays. The Red Sox have transformed 66.3% of balls in play into outs in their 4,107 innings, which has them ranked 30th in MLB.

Richards (51-44 record in his career) holds a FIP of 3.69 and he has gone up against 3,612 hitters in the majors. He has allowed 774 base knocks (8.1 hits per 9 innings) and has 317 free passes. His ERA is 3.64 (347 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.271. Richards has taken the ball for 858 innings and has accumulated 749 strikeouts in his career.

Houston has a total of 58 home runs on the season to go along with 250 runs batted in. They have notched 97 doubles, while taking a walk 172 times and putting up 266 runs. The Houston Astros have tallied an OBP of .334 and a batting average of .266 over the course of the season. The Astros have a SLG% of .424 and they are scoring 5.22 runs per outing (1st in MLB). They have been called out on strikes on 353 occasions (30th in the league) and have earned 471 base knocks.

The Houston pitching staff have surrendered 221 runs this season while holding an ERA of 3.91 (199 earned runs conceded). They have allowed 65 home runs and they surrender 4.34 runs per 9 innings (14th in the league). The Astros are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.216 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.29 as a staff on the campaign. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.58 (460 strikeouts vs 178 walks). They sit at 10th in the league as a staff in total hits conceded with 379.

With 47 save situations, the Astros have 26 holds and also 10 blown saves. Houston has had relief pitchers enter the contest in 20 save chances and they have come away with 10 saves. Their relievers have taken the field 59 times in high leverage situations and also on 54 occasions with base runners. Houston relievers have an inherited score rate of 40.0% out of their 85 inherited runners. They are ranked 26th in baseball holding a save rate of 50.0%, and they have dispatched 167 relief pitchers onto the diamond so far this year.

The Houston Astros have turned 42 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .988 (3rd in MLB). The Astros have accrued 425 assists, 21 errors and have earned a total of 1,376 putouts for the season. In 4,128 innings on the diamond, the Astros hold a defensive efficiency of 72.5% (2nd in the majors).

During his career, Garcia has allowed 36 hits while he has earned 56 strikeouts in 52 innings. Garcia (2-4 mark in his career) holds a 3.27 ERA while allowing 6.2 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 19 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.070 and having a FIP of 4.6. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.80 and he has faced 213 hitters so far in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Houston (-109)

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