MLB Odds: Trevor Cahill's Athletics vs Josh Beckett and The Red Sox

Saturday, June 04, 2011

by Frank Martin

MLB Odds: Trevor Cahill's Athletics vs Josh Beckett and The Red Sox

Carl Crawford was the hero again as the Boston Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak on Friday. Boston trailed Oakland 4-0 after one inning as starter Clay Buchholz was ineffective. But the Red Sox bats came alive and Crawford, who has three walk-off hits this season, stroked a broken-bat single with two outs in the seventh inning to cap a Red Sox comeback.

Boston hosts Oakland Athletics again on Saturday afternoon in the second of a three-game series. The Red Sox have beaten the A’s 13 of the last 17 games at Fenway.

- Oakland Athletics (27-31) vs. Boston Red Sox (31-26)
When: 1:10 PM ET, Saturday, June 4, 2011
Where: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
TV: 1:10 p.m. CSCA, NESN

The Red Sox have opened as 181-moneyline favorites on Bet Online Sportsbook’s Live MLB Baseball Odds.

Athletics RH Trevor Cahill (6-3, 2.31 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Josh Beckett (4-2, 1.80 ERA)

When the A’s drafted Cahill in the second round in 2006 they had high hopes for the high school righthander. He is living up to their lofty expectations. Cahill went 18-8 with a 2.97 ERA last season and is among the league leaders again this year with a 2.31 ERA. Cahill started the season 5-1 but has lost three straight decisions, and although he’s only given up 10 runs combined in his last four starts, he twice allowed 10 hits in a start. Cahill is 1-2 lifetime against the Red Sox with a 5.19 ERA.

Beckett continues to lead the AL in ERA but victories are still hard to come by. He’s won just two of his past eight starts despite allowing two runs or less in seven of them. Beckett took the loss in his last outing, surrendering two runs on five hits in six innings, but Boston was blanked by Detroit’s Justin Verlander 3-0. Beckett is 5-3 lifetime against Oakland but hasn’t faced the A’s this season.

With Daisuke Matsuzaka headed for Tommy John surgery and Rich Hill pondering the same procedure, Boston did get Bobby Jenks back to help the bullpen. While the veteran reliever allowed a double and a walk Friday, he got out of this one inning’s work with a double play and recorded the victory. Jenks’ success will be crucial to Boston’s hopes the rest of the way as the team has tried to limit Daniel Bard’s workload. Crawford was in the midst of another slump before driving in what proved to be the game-winning runs albeit with a broken bat. It was the 12th come-from-behind win of the season for the Red Sox.

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The A’s haven’t enjoyed their time against the powers of the AL East. Oakland was coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees before Friday’s loss to the second-place Red Sox. Oakland has lost 10 straight games to the Yankees and has struggled mightily at Fenway Park. Reliever Joey Devine took the loss, allowing two runs in less than an inning. It was the first runs he allowed in over 33 innings and 33 appearances.

Despite their dominance at Fenway the Red Sox are 24-26 in the last six years against the A’s. Oakland’s four-game losing streak is tied with the Cubs for the longest active streak in the majors.

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bobby jenks - boston red sox - carl crawford - clay buchholz - daisuke matsuzaka - daniel bard - fenway park - joey devine - josh beckett - justin verlander