Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 5/21/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: NESN

The Boston Red Sox (23-24) are hitting the road to Tropicana Field on Tuesday where they will compete against the Tampa Bay Rays (25-23). The pitchers who are expected to start will be Cooper Criswell and Zack Littell.

The Red Sox have hit 89 doubles as a squad and have knocked 50 baseballs out of the stadium. Boston has a slugging rate of .408 and have been called out on strikes 458 times, while drawing a walk on 148 occasions. As a team, the Boston Red Sox are recording 4.4 runs per game, which ranks them 15th in the league. They have 200 runs batted in and 395 base knocks on the year, while their batting average is at .245. They have earned a total of 207 runs while having a team OBP of .316.

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The Red Sox have a team earned run average of 3.03 for the season (2nd in baseball), and their staff has struck out 405 batters. Red Sox pitchers have surrendered 42 home runs and 179 runs (10th in MLB). Their pitching staff has walked 121 opposing players and their FIP is 3.54 as a squad so far this year. Boston has yielded 361 hits (7.7 per 9 innings) in addition to 142 earned runs. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.35 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.14.

The Red Sox have dispatched 150 relief pitchers to the mound for the season. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 45 base runners so far this season with 35.6% of those players ended up scoring. They have compiled 10 saves on the year and have missed out on 9 of 19 save opportunities. The Red Sox relievers have recorded a save percentage of 52.6% and has come into the game in 41 save situations. The bullpen have a total of 21 holds on the campaign (26th in the league). Red Sox bullpen pitchers have come into the game with opponents on base 36 times in addition to having 57 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Red Sox have transformed 70.2% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 3,792 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting at 17th in MLB. The Boston Red Sox have accumulated 1,264 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 413 assists and 37 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .978 which is 30th in pro baseball, and have accumulated 31 double plays.

Criswell has taken the mound for 67 frames and has 59 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 4.57 (34 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.373. He has surrendered 73 base knocks (9.8 hits per 9 innings) and has 19 free passes. Criswell (3-3 record in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.69 and he has gone up against 294 opposing batters during his time in the majors.

The Rays hold a team SLG% of .365 and they are scoring 4.12 runs per outing (20th in baseball). They have put up 66 doubles, while taking a walk 150 times as well as earning 198 runs. Tampa Bay has recorded 41 home runs on the season to go along with 180 runs batted in. They have been called out on strikes on 438 occasions (6th in the league) and have notched a total of 389 base knocks. The Tampa Bay Rays have accumulated a team on-base percentage of .313 in addition to a batting average of .242 this season.

The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.257 in addition to having a FIP of 4.25 as a staff on the campaign. They are sitting at 24th in baseball as a staff in total hits allowed with 403. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 227 runs this season while having an ERA of 4.30 (206 earned runs yielded). Their K/BB ratio is 8.50 (409 strikeouts against 139 walks). They have relinquished 62 long balls and they yield 4.74 runs per 9 innings (20th in baseball).

Tampa Bay relievers have an inherited score percentage of 26.4% of 53 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 72 times in high leverage situations in addition to 37 occasions with base runners. Sitting with 62 save situations, the Rays have earned 35 holds and also 10 blown saves. They are ranked 17th in the league with a save rate of 61.5%, and they have sent 153 bullpen pitchers to the mound over the course of the season. Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the hill in 26 save chances and they have come away with 16 saves.

In 3,885 innings on the field, the Rays have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 70.0% (18th in professional baseball). The Tampa Bay Rays have turned 34 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .983 (19th in baseball). The Rays have recorded 371 assists, 28 errors and have a tally of 1,295 putouts this season.

Littell (18-13 career mark) is the owner of a 3.99 earned run average and has allowed 9.2 hits per nine innings. His K/BB ratio is 3.41 and he has faced 1,311 opposing batters in his MLB career. He has surrendered 137 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.280 and having a FIP of 4.2. In his MLB career, Littell has allowed 316 hits and he has 273 K's in 309 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Boston

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