Mariners vs Red Sox | MLB Betting Odds

It’s a matchup of American League division leaders (as of this writing) from Fenway Park on Friday as the Seattle Mariners make their lone visit of the season to Boston for Game 2 of their series. The Red Sox are favored on the MLB odds, but the Mariners have been the most profitable team to wager on early this season.

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

When: Friday, 7:10 PM ET
Where: Fenway Park
Probable pitchers (away/home): Yusei Kikuchi/Martin Perez
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/

Why Bet on Seattle? | MLB Betting Odds

The Mariners are the only team in the Majors to have 3 players with multiple saves so far during the 2021 season: Kendall Graveman (2), Keynan Middleton (2) and Rafael Montero (3). Seattle relievers have allowed opponents to bat just .176, which ranks best in the Majors. Seattle relievers have also allowed the lowest slugging percentage (.285) and OPS (.570) among MLB bullpens.

It’s left Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 4.74) on the mound for Seattle. Kikuchi surrendered five runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts over seven innings in a no-decision against the Astros las Friday. Kikuchi was cruising through four innings with no hits allowed until things began to unravel in the fifth.

A single and a walk would put two runners on before a base hit by Alex De Goti would score both runs after a throwing error by Dylan Moore. De Goti would then come around to score on a double by Chas McCormick. Two more runs would score in the seventh inning before Kikuchi’s day was done. Overall, the 29-year-old threw 91 pitches and gave up only one extra-base hit. He’s now gone at least six innings in each of his first three starts, though he has yet to be part of a decision.

“He feels really good about where he’s at, the adjustments he’s made and the growth that he’s made, not just with his pitches but his approach, his attitude when he’s out there,” manager Scott Servais said, adding: “We’re going to need many, many more outings like that out of him.”

This is a crucial year for the Mariners and Kikuchi. After 2021, Seattle will have to decide whether to commit to a four-year club option for $66 million to lock him up through 2025 at an average of $16.5 million per year. If Seattle declines the deal, Kikuchi gets a player option for 2022 at $13 million to boot.

Kikuchi will make his second career start against Boston. He faced the Sox in his second career MLB on March 29, 2019, tossing 6.0 innings and allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits with no walks and 5 strikeouts.

Why Bet on Boston? | MLB Betting Odds

The Red Sox lead the majors with 9 come-from-behind wins; the Mariners rank 2nd with 6. The Sox have 5 wins in which they trailed in the 5^th inning or later, after they had 5 wins of that variety in all of 2020. They have already won 2 games in which they trailed entering the 9th inning; they had 1 such win in 2020.

The Red Sox are 12-0 this season when holding a lead at any point in the game. There have been 4 games in which the Sox relinquished a lead, but they went on to win each of those 4 games.

Lefty Martin Perez (0-1, 5.93) takes the mound for Boston. Perez allowed four runs on seven hits and no walks with four strikeouts across 3 2/3 innings in a loss against the White Sox last Sunday. Perez started the game by loading the bases on three consecutive base hits, though he’d limit the damage to just one run in the frame. Yermin Mercedes would later tag him for a solo shot in the fourth before an RBI single by Danny Mendick would end the day for the 30-year-old.

Perez reached 1,000 career innings pitched Sunday, becoming the 12th Venezuelan-born pitcher to reach the milestone, and the 19th pitcher to do so in the AL since Perez’s debut season, 2012. Of his 44 batted balls against this season, his 2.3 barrel percentage ranks seventh in the majors among qualifying pitchers.

Having spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Rangers, Pérez has faced the Mariners (121 innings) more than any other team. He is 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA in his career against Seattle, which includes six starts since 2018.