The Boston Red Sox continue a tough seven-game road trip on Tuesday night by making their first trip of the young season to AL East rival Tampa Bay. The Rays are solid favorites on the MLB odds behind ace Charlie Morton.

Red Sox vs Rays – MLB Odds & Picks

• When: Tuesday, 6:40 PM ET
• Where: Tropicana Field
• Probable pitchers (away/home): Nathan Eovaldi/Charlie Morton
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Stream/gameday audio: ESPN+, https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
• Opening MLB Lines: Rays -147, Red Sox +136 (total 8.5)

The Red Sox were swept three games over the weekend at the Yankees, losing each game by multiple runs. It was 9-7 on Sunday.

“Any time you lose when you’re doing that much offensively it’s a tough loss,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. “It’s tough, too, when you know you have it set up like you want to. You’ve got a lead going to (Matt) Barnes and (Brandon) Workman, and you feel great about that. And it didn’t work out.”

Rafael Devers hit his first home run of the season in the loss. He was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored while making a couple of dazzling plays at third base. In one night, his OPS jumped from .532 to .645.  Xander Bogaerts went 4-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. Bogaerts is up to three home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored through 10 games played, to go along with a .333/.371/.667 slash line in 35 plate appearances.

Michael Chavis is 1 of 11 Red Sox to hit 19+ HR in their first 100 MLB games, joining Walt Dropo (25), Tony Conigliaro (23), Norm Zauchin (22), Will Middlebrooks (21), Carlton Fisk (20), Brian Daubach (19), Dick Gernert (19), Ellis Burks (19), Billy Conigliaro (19), and Fred Lynn (19)

Boston has lost presumed ace lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (heart) for the season. While Rodriguez is expected to make a full recovery from myocarditis, the club doesn’t believe that he’ll have enough time to recover before the end of the 2020 season.

It’s Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.45) on the mound here. Despite allowing eight hits, Eovaldi yielded just two runs in five innings last Wednesday against the Mets. Eovaldi got into trouble in the first, fourth and fifth innings, but the Mets managed only single runs twice. It didn’t get Eovaldi his second win, but the Red Sox did pull it out in the end.

Boston’s starting pitchers have a cumulative 6.69 ERA.

The Rays and Red Sox will meet 10 times this season, including six times over a 10-day stretch beginning on Tuesday. They play a 4-game series at Fenway Park from Aug 10-13 and host the Red Sox for four more from Sep 10-13. The Rays went 12-7 against the Red Sox last season (4-6 at home, 8-1 on the road), clinching the season series for the first time since 2015 (10-9) and their most wins over them since 2011 (12).

The Rays have won seven of the last 8 games between the clubs dating back to July 24, 2019 at home. Last year the road team won 14 of 19 games in the season series. This offseason the Red Sox hired Chaim Bloom, who spent 15 years in the Rays Baseball Operations dept., as Chief Baseball Officer.

Tampa Bay is 19-3 (.864) in its last 22 home games since Aug 21, 2019 (not including postseason), best in the majors since then.

The Rays lost their fifth game in a row Sunday, 5-1 in Baltimore. Brandon Lowe clubbed a solo home run in the loss. Lowe hit a towering shot over the center-field wall in the sixth inning off of Tommy Milone. Manuel Margot was removed from Sunday’s game due to a stiff back. Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the game that Margot tweaked his back on a swing but added that he doesn’t expect the outfielder to miss any time.

It’s ace Charlie Morton (0-1, 8.00) on the bump here, although. Last Wednesday in Atlanta, he allowed a pair of runs over five innings, both scoring in the 3rd inning on a Freddie Freeman home run. Following the homer, Morton allowed a single to Marcell Ozuna but then retired eight of his last 10 batters to end his outing. Morton allowed multiple baserunners in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th innings but held the Braves to 1-for-5 with RISP to limit the damage.

Morton is 5-1 with a 4.09 ERA (50.2-IP, 23-ER) in nine career starts against the Red Sox, including 2-0 with a 3.90 ERA (30-IP, 13-ER) in 5 starts last season and 1-0 with a 4.19 ERA (19.1-IP, 9-ER) in 3 starts at Tropicana Field. He last faced them on Sep 20, 2019 at home, taking no decision after allowing 2 runs in 6.1 IP. He held Boston scoreless through 6.1 IP, then allowed a double to Brock Holt and 2-run homer to Mitch Moreland and was replaced.

• Red Sox are 1-7 in the last 8 meetings.
• Red Sox are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings in Tampa Bay.
• Over is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings in Tampa Bay.
• Over is 6-0-1 in the last 7 meetings.
• Red Sox are 2-5 in their last 7 games as a road underdog.
• Red Sox are 2-5 in their last 7 during game 1 of a series.
• Red Sox are 3-8 in their last 11 games vs. a right-handed starter.
• Rays are 35-16 in their last 51 games vs. a right-handed starter.