Red Sox vs. Rays: Picks, predictions, how to watch Tuesday’s game

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays square off on Tuesday with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Rich Hill (6-5, 4.52 ERA) will throw for the Red Sox with Drew Rasmussen (9-4, 2.70 ERA) on the mound for the Rays.

Boston (67-69) saw its five-game winning streak end Monday with a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay. Hill will make his 21st start in his third stint with the Red Sox, and the 42-year-old pitcher allowed four runs over four innings in a win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday. Boston ranks fourth in batting average (.259), and Rafael Devers leads the team with 25 home runs and 73 RBI.

Tampa Bay (75-58) won six of its last seven contests and will enter the day five games behind the New York Yankees for the top spot in the American League East. Rasmussen will make his 24th start of the season and is coming off an outing where he allowed one run over six innings in a win over the Miami Marlins last Wednesday. Tampa Bay scores 4.3 runs per game, which ranks 18th in the league, and Randy Arozarena is the team leader in home runs (18) and RBI (71).

Red Sox vs. Rays

Pitchers: Rich Hill vs. Drew Rasmussen
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET
Boston local broadcast: Bally Sports Sun
Tampa Bay local broadcast: NESN
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Rays -1.5 (+135)
Run total: 7
Moneyline odds: Rays -155, Red Sox +135

Moneyline pick: Rays -155

Tampa Bay has been on a roll recently as it enters the day within shouting distance of the Yankees and is at the top of a tight American League Wild Card race, and the success should continue in this spot. The pitching has been fantastic as the Rays haven’t allowed more than three runs in any of their last six games, and Rasmussen allowed fewer than three earned runs in his last eight starts.

Player prop pick: Rich Hill over 3.5 strikeouts (-120)

The Red Sox starter’s strikeout numbers have dipped over the past few seasons with a 7.3 K/9, but he should get to four strikeouts in this spot. Hill struck out more than 3.5 hitters in each of his last four starts and at least seven in three of those previous four. Tampa Bay strikes out 8.7 times per game, which is the 10th most in the league.

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