With their effort in Wednesday night’s Game 4, the Detroit Tigers came away with an “easy” victory over the Boston Red Sox to even the American League Championship Series at two games apiece. That brings baseball bettors to Thursday night’s pivotal fifth game, which some purists hope might bring a repeat of the masterful pitching duel they witnessed when these teams got together in Game 1.
Anibal Sanchez will take the mound for Detroit, while Jon Lester gets the call for the Red Sox. Between them, they allowed one run on six hits in a series opener not many people will soon forget. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM ET at Comerica Park in Detroit.
In the baseball betting odds that have been established at GetThatBet for this game, the Tigers are a favorite:
Detroit Tigers (Sanchez – R) -117
Boston Red Sox (Lester – L) +107
Over 7 Runs -120
Under 7 Runs +100
With the Tigers, it is hard to get a break, isn’t it? Last night Doug Fister put in an effort where he allowed only one run to the Red Sox before giving way to the bullpen. And he is the FOURTH starter.
Starting from the top in the rotation, first you have to get through Max Scherzer, who went 21-3 on the season, with a 0.97 WHIP and 240 strikeouts, which were second in the league.
Then it’s Justin Verlander, who is the former Cy Young winner and MVP, who has been close to unhittable lately, allowing 19 hits and one run in his last 35 innings of work, with 53 K’s.
And it’s only THEN that you get to the league’s ERA champion. Anibal Sanchez posted a 2.57 earned run average, also averaging more than a strikeout per inning.
Are you kidding?
Sanchez certainly didn’t look like one of the league’s when he faced off against the Oakland A’s ten days ago. In fact, he was shown an early exit, as three members of the Athletics’ batting order took him out of the park in four and a third innings.
But he bounced back. And how.
You hardly could have been more brilliant than Sanchez was in Game 1 of this ALCS, as he had the Red Sox in his back pocket, holding them hitless for six innings and striking out TWELVE batters. It was hard labor, though; Sanchez threw 116 pitches, then was removed. Jon Lester had not been quite as dazzling, but he kept the Red Sox +150 to win the World Series in baseball betting at GetThatBet) in the game, allowing just one run in six and a third innings.
Detroit’s staff (Jim Leyland put FOUR more pitchers in the game) kept Boston hitless until the ninth, when Daniel Nava got a single. But they held the 1-0 lead. Obviously it’s a risky thing when a manager yanks a guy who is throwing a no-hitter and inserts four lesser hurlers, but Leyland got away with it.
That was actually the first official win Sanchez registered since September 11, and now he will duel once again with Lester, who was strong over the last couple of months of the season. In only one of his last twelve starts has Lester allowed more than three runs, and even though not all the starts were sensational, he has been consistent to where the Red Sox know they can likely stay in the game with him on the mound.
And oh by the way, in case you were wondering, Joaquin Benoit had to work a little out their for the Bengals in Game 4, throwing 21 pitches. But it was pointed out that he “needed that for confidence” after surrendering David Ortiz’s winning grand slam in Game 3. Well, maybe that’s the case; maybe it isn’t. But we don’t expect him to be absolutely fresh for this one.
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