Mets vs. Red Sox MLB | Both Need Win Badly

Both the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox are chasing playoff spots with the 2021 regular season winding down – Boston is in much better shape in that regard. The Sox are home favorites on the MLB odds for Tuesday’s interleague opener between the clubs.

How to Bet Mets at Red Sox MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Tuesday, 7:10 PM ET
Where: Fenway Park
Probable pitchers (away/home): Marcus Stroman/Eduardo Rodriguez
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Red Sox -155, Mets +145 (total 9.5)

Why Bet on NY Mets?

At 73-77, the Mets’ playoff hopes are on life support. They did end a five-game skid on Sunday with a 3-2 home win over the Phillies. Dominic Smith delivered a pinch-hit game-tying two-run double in the fifth inning. It has been a thoroughly disappointing season offensively for Smith, as he’s hitting just .246/.308/.364 with 11 homers, 58 RBI and two stolen bases.

Jeff McNeil blasted a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. McNeil led off the fifth inning with a single and came around to score on a two-run double by Dominic Smith. He then crushed a 417-foot shot off of Phillies right-hander Kyle Gibson in the seventh inning. With the 2-for-3 effort, he’s now hitting .252/.318/.364 with seven long balls and 34 RBI on the year. The long ball was McNeil’s first since Aug. 1 and only his fourth extra-base hit in September.

Edwin Diaz earned his 30^th save of the year. Diaz was called upon in the ninth to protect a one-run lead and delivered a clean outing aside from a HBP in his first save situation since last Sunday. The 27-year-old has now thrown four straight scoreless innings and appears to be back on track following a rough stretch earlier this month. Diaz now holds a 3.62 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 59 2/3 innings on the season. It’s the third time in his career that he has eclipsed the 30-save plateau — and the first time since recording a league-leading 57 with the Mariners back in 2018.

It’s Marcus Stroman on the mound here. Stroman struck out eight while limiting the Cardinals to two runs over six innings last Tuesday as the Mets fell in extra innings. Stroman was in control outside of the fourth inning, and even in that frame he was a little unlucky with the Cards picking up an infield single and a seeing-eye single. The eight strikeouts were one off Stroman’s season high, and he picked up 14 swinging strikes among his 89 pitches.

It was his fifth quality start in his last six outings and he has compiled a 3.22 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 36.1 innings in that span. Stroman took another no-decision, though, and remains 9-12 on the season in spite of a 2.88 ERA. Stroman is tied for the major league lead with 31 starts this season, ranks tied for 12th in the NL with 169.0 IP and is tied for third in the NL with a 0.75 HR/9 ratio (min 20 starts).

Stroman is 6-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 14 career starts against Boston.

Why Bet on Boston?

The Red Sox would be an AL wild-card team as things stand and enter on a five-game winning streak off an 8-6 home win over Baltiore on Sunday. Enrique Hernández went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Hernández belted an RBI double off lefty Alexander Wells in the second inning before igniting the Red Sox’ three-run rally in the seventh inning with a game-tying RBI single to center field off righty reliever Conner Greene. The versatile 30-year-old is slashing .251/.335/.447 with 78 runs scored, 17 home runs and 55 RBI this year.

In their last 38 games (beginning 8/8), the Sox lead the majors in AVG and OPS with runners in scoring position (.306/.909). In their 113 games prior, they ranked 17th in AVG and 18th in OPS with RISP (.252/.744). The Sox are slugging an MLB-best .440 against relief pitchers. Under the current 10-team playoff format, which began in 2012, the Red Sox have never played in the Wild Card Game.

One of Boston’s top relievers, Garrett Whitlock left Sunday’s game against the Orioles with right pectoral tightness. The 25-year-old tossed a scoreless frame in the sixth inning and came back out to pitch the seventh before leaving with the trainer. Whitlock owns a 1.99 ERA and has recorded 79 strikeouts in 71⅔ innings for the Red Sox this season. He has recently assumed a high-leverage role in the back end of Boston’s bullpen with Matt Barnes missing time after testing positive for COVID-19.

It’s lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (11-8) on the mound here. Rodriguez allowed two runs over six innings in a no-decision last Monday against the Mariners. Rodriguez gave up runs in the first and second inning, but settled down. After he was hammered for six runs in his last outing, Rodriguez turned in a fourth quality start over his last six appearances. Rodriguez lowered his season ERA to an even 5.00 with a 165:40 K:BB through 28 starts.

He is 4-2 with a 3.59 ERA (17 ER/42.2 IP) in 8 starts since 8/1. Among AL pitchers with at least 100.0+ IP, he ranks 9th in SO/9.0 IP (10.43). Rodriguez leads Sox starters in wins (11) and is on pace for career bests in SO% (27.1), SO/BB (4.13), and FIP (3.46).