[tinfw17]

Dave Malinsky Top of the Ticket - Run Line

-1.5 RUNS,BOSTON RED SOX (Lester)-vs- Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Shields)

4* #974 BOSTON Run Line over TAMPA BAY

It should not come as any surprise at all that we stay in play against the shell-shocked Rays in this one ? with their losing streak having reached eight games Fenway Park is the last place that they want to be, particularly with this mound being a personal House of Horrors for starter James Shields. So with the Run Line offering us an underdog return, we are in play. Shields sports a career count of 0-5/9.00 in Fenway, with 37 hits allowed over 22 innings, including five home runs. And when we go up and down the Red Sox lineup it is easy to see how that count got produced; counting games both here and at The Trop, J. D. Drew is 9-23 with two home runs, Mike Lowell 8-22, David Ortiz 8-21 with two homers, Dustin Pedroia 9-19 with a home run; and Jason Bay 3-8 with a home run. Now they add Victor Martinez, and his .333 lifetime count against the Tampa right-hander. And it is not as though Shields can rely on current form to overcome this, with his 2-0 run over the last three starts masquerading a 5.85 ERA, and an allowance of six home runs over those 20 innings. And behind him is a disheveled bullpen that has worked to an awful 9.78 tune over this 0-8 slide. Meanwhile Jon Lester continues to work as effectively as anyone in the game right now, and that may sound like a strong statement considering how hot some other starters are, take a closer look. Since August 1st it has been a 2.12 allowance over 46.2 frames, with far more strikeouts (56) than base-runners allowed (32 hits and 13 walks). But what makes that really go to a higher level is how those numbers got compiled ? six of seven starts in that span were on the road, including facing the Yankees in the Bronx, these Rays in Tampa twice, and the Rangers in Arlington. Lester held the Rays to three runs over 12 innings in those two outings, with nearly twice as many strikeouts (19) as hits allowed (10), and in a rare chance to work from his preferred home mound we can back him confidently.

[joey]

Originally Posted by tinfw17

Dave Malinsky Top of the Ticket - Run Line

-1.5 RUNS,BOSTON RED SOX (Lester)-vs- Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Shields)

4* #974 BOSTON Run Line over TAMPA BAY

It should not come as any surprise at all that we stay in play against the shell-shocked Rays in this one ? with their losing streak having reached eight games Fenway Park is the last place that they want to be, particularly with this mound being a personal House of Horrors for starter James Shields. So with the Run Line offering us an underdog return, we are in play. Shields sports a career count of 0-5/9.00 in Fenway, with 37 hits allowed over 22 innings, including five home runs. And when we go up and down the Red Sox lineup it is easy to see how that count got produced; counting games both here and at The Trop, J. D. Drew is 9-23 with two home runs, Mike Lowell 8-22, David Ortiz 8-21 with two homers, Dustin Pedroia 9-19 with a home run; and Jason Bay 3-8 with a home run. Now they add Victor Martinez, and his .333 lifetime count against the Tampa right-hander. And it is not as though Shields can rely on current form to overcome this, with his 2-0 run over the last three starts masquerading a 5.85 ERA, and an allowance of six home runs over those 20 innings. And behind him is a disheveled bullpen that has worked to an awful 9.78 tune over this 0-8 slide. Meanwhile Jon Lester continues to work as effectively as anyone in the game right now, and that may sound like a strong statement considering how hot some other starters are, take a closer look. Since August 1st it has been a 2.12 allowance over 46.2 frames, with far more strikeouts (56) than base-runners allowed (32 hits and 13 walks). But what makes that really go to a higher level is how those numbers got compiled ? six of seven starts in that span were on the road, including facing the Yankees in the Bronx, these Rays in Tampa twice, and the Rangers in Arlington. Lester held the Rays to three runs over 12 innings in those two outings, with nearly twice as many strikeouts (19) as hits allowed (10), and in a rare chance to work from his preferred home mound we can back him confidently.

Glad to see someone paid the man... didn't anyone pay for the
Wsox/Anaheim Under 9.5 ??

[acuraintegralove]

I like this pick, swayed me from chalkin up on the ML... Let's cash this RL.