The Boston Red Sox will open a three-game weekend series at Guaranteed Rate Field against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. Let’s see the MLB odds.
Friday, September 10, 2021 – 08:10 PM EDT at Guaranteed Rate Field
The American League East appears poised to send three teams to the postseason in 2021. Boston currently leads the Wild Card standings in the American League with an 80-62 overall record but the Toronto Blue Jays are just a half-game behind the division-rival New York Yankees for the final Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the White Sox are cruising to the postseason in the AL Central where they own a commanding 10 game advantage heading into the final stretch.
Boston is scheduled to open the series with emerging right-hander Tanner Houck on Friday evening. Houck is still winless through 12 games (10 starts) for the Red Sox. To his credit though, he’s pitched much better than his overall record might suggest. The 25-year-old enters with an 0-3 record to go along with a 3.26 ERA but has given up three earned runs or fewer in all 12 of his appearances. The Red Sox right-hander spun five scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Cleveland Indians in his last start, striking out seven batters and walking none on the night.
The young right-hander has been a revelation in the Red Sox rotation this season. Houck doesn’t have the results on his resume just yet but he’s flashing signs of a breakout in Boston. He’s fanned a healthy 11.23 batters and walked just 2.17 batters per nine innings of work. Houck has also done a good job of keeping the ball in the park (0.54 HR/9) and owns a 0.54 Hr/9 rate in 66 ⅔ career MLB innings, which bodes well for his long-term prospects at the big-league level.
The Red Sox righty has made only one career start against the White Sox, going 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA. Per Baseball Savant, current White Sox are batting only .200 in 10 plate appearances off of him heading into Friday’s contest. Chicago has yet to officially announce a starter for Friday’s contest but left-hander Carlos Rodon is expected to make his regularly scheduled start. The 28-year-old had been out since early August with shoulder fatigue but has made good enough progress over the last month to return to the White Sox rotation.
Rodon last pitched on Sept. 1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and has made eight days off between starts. He limited the Pirates to just one run in five innings of work and has allowed just three combined runs over his last three appearances dating back to Aug. 7. It’s been a career year across the board for Rodon, who set career-best marks in wins (11), ERA (2.41), strikeout rate (12.64 K/9), and walk rate (2.41 BB/9) this season.
Not only has he managed to limit opposing hitters to a career-best .191 batting average but he’s also posted a ridiculous 15.1 percent swinging-strike rate in 2021. This will be the White Sox lefty’s first start of the season against Boston. Rodon has seen the Red Sox four times in his MLB career (three starts). He is 0-3 despite a 3.96 ERA in those contests.
Rodon will be making his way back to the mound for Chicago this weekend with the left-handed ace carries some added uncertainty with him into this start. He’s made just three starts since the beginning of August and has pitched no more than five innings on any of those occasions. In fact, Rodon last completed six innings or more in an outing way back on July 18, his first post-All-Star Break start.
With Houck pitching well and due for his first win of 2021, there should be some value on the Red Sox in this spot. For your MLB picks, look for Houck to spoil Rodon’s return to the rotation here and take the Red Sox to come out on top at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday.
MLB Pick: Red Sox ML +110 with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.