The Boston Red Sox host the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on Tuesday night in the first of a three-game series. First pitch is set for 6:45 PM ET. Boston enters the matchup at 18-18, while Texas is just under .500 at 17-18.
These teams met to start the 2025 season, with Texas winning three of four games in Arlington. Now they meet again with different momentum. Boston’s bullpen is under pressure after several recent blown leads, while the Rangers are dealing with offensive struggles and a recent staff shakeup.
Red Sox Preview – Bullpen Must Hold Up at Home
Boston’s relief staff has been shaky lately, blowing eight saves already this season. The latest came on Sunday when a 3-1 lead slipped away against Minnesota. Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten gave up four late runs in that loss, adding to a tough week for the bullpen.
Lucas Giolito makes his second start of the year. He went six innings and gave up three runs in a no-decision against Toronto last week. Giolito didn’t pitch in 2024 but owns a 3.15 ERA in six career starts against Texas. Boston is 9-8 at home this season.
Offensively, the Red Sox are scoring 4.97 runs per game. They are slightly better than average in team batting average (.249) and on-base percentage (.315). They’ll need to cash in early against a Texas staff that has been strong in the first five innings of games.
Rangers Preview – Can New Voice Fix the Bats?
The Rangers snapped out of a scoring slump with an 8-1 win on Sunday over Seattle. Before that, they had scored two or fewer runs in eight of nine games. The team fired hitting coordinator Donnie Ecker and replaced him with former All-Star Bret Boone to lead the offense moving forward.
Nathan Eovaldi starts for Texas and brings a 2.11 ERA into the game. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last three starts. Eovaldi faced Boston on Opening Day and struck out nine in six innings while allowing two runs. His career ERA against Boston is 5.03, though recent form suggests improvement.
Texas has been good on the mound but weak at the plate. The Rangers are scoring just 3.23 runs per game, the lowest in the American League. Their bullpen ERA is 3.21, and they’ve been solid in late innings. Their relievers have allowed just 35 earned runs in 98 innings this season.
Betting Prediction
The line is close with Texas around -117 and Boston around +108. The total is set at 8.5. Eovaldi has pitched well recently, and Giolito looked sharp in his season debut. Both teams have inconsistent bullpens, but Boston’s recent meltdowns are hard to ignore.
The under is a strong trend for both teams, with Texas hitting the under in 33 of 37 games. Boston has also been a solid under team in recent matchups. With two experienced pitchers on the mound and two struggling offenses, the under looks like the safer bet. Slight edge to Texas with the stronger starter and better bullpen numbers.
Pick: Under 8.5
