June 12 MLB Boston Philadelphia Overseas Baseball Analysis Sports Analysis
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Trailing their impressive comeback to break the losing streak, the Boston Red Sox, with Cutter Crawford (2-5, ERA 3.51) on the mound, are aiming for his third win of the season. Crawford suffered a defeat against Atlanta at home on the 5th, giving up six runs in six innings. He is in terrible form, having allowed five or more earned runs over the last three games consecutively. Especially concerning is his home game performance, which remains a significant drawback in this game. Boston's batting lineup, which scored six runs including a solo home run by David Hamilton against the White Sox bullpen in Monday's game, eventually secured victory by scoring four additional runs against the White Sox bullpen. Notably, Hamilton's aggressive steal to third base with one out and a runner on second in the top of the ninth inning was a pivotal moment. The bullpen, which allowed four runs on a bullpen day, will need to regroup during a day's rest.
The Philadelphia Phillies, who suffered a comeback loss due to the poor performance of their left-handed relievers, are sending Zack Wheeler (7-3, ERA 2.23) to the mound in pursuit of his eighth win of the season. Wheeler secured a victory by pitching seven innings with five hits and one earned run against Milwaukee at home on the 4th, continuing his streak of four consecutive games with QS+ level outings. His dominance in night games, with a 3-1 record, ERA of 1.56, and an opposing batting average of .148, is a promising point for this game. However, a significant issue is that Wheeler's performance tends to deteriorate the longer the rest period before his start, and it's been nine days since his last outing. In Monday's game, Philadelphia's lineup, including a solo home run by David Dahl, scored five runs against the Mets' pitching staff and showed decent hitting performance. However, an egregious defensive error by Alec Bohm and a double play with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth were critical blows. The left-handed relievers, who conceded four runs and left a scorecard mess, need to reflect seriously.
Teams returning from the London Series tend to have a noticeably reduced performance in their first game back in the United States. While facing a slumping Crawford could be an advantage for Philadelphia, the issue of adjusting to the time difference could be a factor. Despite Wheeler continuing to pitch at a Cy Young level, his considerable weakness is that his pitch balance breaks down the longer the rest before his start, notably accentuated by his nine-day rest before this game. The Boston Red Sox, with their head-to-head advantage, are closer to victory.
Predicted Score: 6-5 Boston Win
Handicap: Boston Win
Over/Under: Over