Alrighty then, let's dive headfirst into this sure-to-be riveting match between the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox, happening at the legendary Fenway Park in Boston. Now, Fenway is known to tilt a smidgen in favor of the swingers. Should liven things up a bit for us, shouldn't it?
Nick Pivetta is suiting up for the Sox, and he's totting an impressive 10.4 K/9 ratio this season through 13 games. Across the court, JP Sears is hitting the diamond for Oakland with an ERA of 4.88 this season, over his 18 appearances. Sorry to be brutal folks, but spoon fed baby food has more kick than Sears' current statistics.
Oakland Athletics bring to bear the talents of Miguel Andujar, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom, with Andujar rocking a .306 batting average this season. But what's that old saying? You can't win 'em all? Well, this trio sure seems to be living proof of it, with them combining for a whopping 3 stolen bases between them this season. It’s truly a game of inches, isn’t it?
On the other side, we have the Red Sox's line-up featuring Romy Gonzalez and his .321 batting average. Add Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran to the mix and we get a trio that holds promise and should keep Oakland's fielders on their toes.
History, it seems, does favor Boston in this ongoing saga. Look, I'm not one to base everything on the past, but four out of their five most recent meetings saw a Red Sox victory. Furthermore, the ‘Sox’s' regular season record holds a lead against Oakland Athletics with 49-40. Athletics, on the other hand, are evidently lacking vitamin 'W' with 34-58 this season.
Running the recent form under the microscope, Red Sox appears to have a sturdier stance than Oakland, who seem to have sprung a leak or two recently with their mixed results. Perhaps that's why the gents in Vegas are showing the 'Sox a little more love this time around, if you catch my drift.
Through the smoke and mirrors, when all's said and done, my money's on Boston snagging this one by a fair margin. And by fair, I mean they are likely to pull this off as smoothly as a grizzled cat burglar on a moonlit night.
Albert’s Prediction: Boston Red Sox by 4