The Boston Red Sox are playing the last series of the 2023 season against the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox are coming off being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in a two-game series. The Orioles are coming in off a series sweep of the Washington Nationals, taking both games in their two-game series. The Red Sox head to head against the Orioles this season, are 4-5, and have been outscored 67-62.
Boston Red Sox (76-82) vs. Baltimore Orioles (99-59)
Game 1:
Date: Thursday, September 28
Time: 6:35 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 2:
Date: Friday, September 29
Time: 7:05 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 3:
Date: Saturday, September 30
Time: 7:15 pm EST
Broadcast: FOX
Game 4:
Date: Sunday, October 1
Time: 3:05 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Probable Starting Pitchers
Game 1: Chris Sale (6-4, 4.66 ERA) vs. Dean Kremer (12-5, 4.17 ERA)
Sale will start the series for the Red Sox, making his 20th start of the season. He posts a 3.71 FIP, a 1.14 WHIP, a 1.3 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and a 11.3 K/9. In his last start, he went five innings and didn’t allow a run on three hits; he walked one and struck out seven against his former team, the Chicago White Sox. In his career against the Orioles, Sale has made 26 appearances, with 20 being starts; he is 10-5 with a 3.81 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 12.1 K/9. This season, Sale has made three starts against the Orioles, going 0-2, giving up 18 runs on 22 hits in 12 innings of work. Sale will face Dean Kremer, who is making his 32nd start of the season. He posts a 4.63 FIP, a 1.33 WHIP, a 1.5 HR/9, a 2.9 BB/9, and an 8.0 K/9. In his career against the Red Sox, Kremer has made seven starts, going 1-4 with a 7.52 ERA, a 1.70 WHIP, and a 7.0 K/9; this season, he has made two starts against the Red Sox, going 1-0 giving up nine runs on 13 hits; he walked two and struck out eight.
Game 2: Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.48 ERA) vs. John Means (0-1, 3.60 ERA)
Pivetta will start the second game against the Orioles, making his 38th appearance and 16th start. He posts a 4.13 FIP, a 1.15 WHIP, a 1.5 HR/9, a 3.3 BB/9, and an 11.5 K/9. His last start came against the White Sox, in which he went seven innings and didn’t allow a run on three hits; he walked one and struck out seven, a game the Red Sox lost 1-0. In his career against the Orioles, Pivetta has made 11 starts, going 7-2 with a 3.54 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and an 11.1 K/9. Pivetta will face John Means, who is making his fourth start of the season. Means posts a 5.68 FIP, a 0.80 WHIP, a 1.6 HR/9, a 2.1 BB/9, and a 3.1 K/9. Means has appeared in eight games in his career against the Red Sox, starting seven; he is 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 5.7 K/9.
Game 3: Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.20 ERA) vs. Kyle Gibson (14-9, 5.00 ERA)
Crawford will get the series’ third game, making his 31st appearance and 23rd start. He posts a 3.97 FIP, a 1.15 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and a 9.3 K/9. In his last start, he faced the White Sox going 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits; he walked three and struck out seven. In his career against the Orioles, Crawford has made two appearances, one being a start; he is 0-1 with a 26.98 ERA, a 3.54 WHIP, and a 4.9 K/9. Crawford will face Kyle Gibson, who is making his 33rd season start. Gibson posts a 4.18 FIP, a 1.31 WHIP, a 1.1 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and a 7.4 K/9. Against the Red Sox in his career, Gibson has made nine starts, going 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 6.5 K/9. This season against them, he made one start, picking up a win in five innings of work, giving up four runs on six hits; he walked one and struck out three.
Game 4: Tanner Houck (5-9, 4.92 ERA) vs. Kyle Bradish (11-7, 3.01 ERA)
Houck will wrap up the season for the Red Sox, making his 21st start of 2023. Houck posts a 4.54 FIP, a 1.41 WHIP, a 1.3 HR/9, a 3.4 BB/9, and an 8.4 K/9. In his career against Baltimore, Houck has made eight appearances, with four being starts; he is 3-3 with a 4.20 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9. He has made three starts against them this season, going 1-2 in 15.1 innings of work. Houck will face Kyle Bradish, who is making his 30th start of the season. Bradish comes into this one posting a 3.31 FIP, a 1.05 WHIP, a 0.8 HR/9, a 2.3 BB/9, and an 8.8 K/9. Bradish has made seven starts in his career against the Red Sox, going 1-4 with an 8.13 ERA, a 1.61 WHIP, and a 7.5 K/9. This season against them, he is 1-1 in two starts, throwing 8.1 innings over the two starts.
Red Sox vs. Orioles Batting Leaders
Series Prediction
It seems the Boston Red Sox have thrown in the towel on the 2023 season, and the Baltimore Orioles are coming in looking for wins as they are still trying to clinch the American League East. With the Red Sox looking ready for the offseason and the Orioles coming in determined to clinch their first American League East crown since 2014, I have the Red Sox losing this series and winning just one game, most likely the Houck or Crawford start with the Orioles having the division clinched before those games it’ll just be who comes out and pitches better between the two and that’s the game the Red Sox will come out on top.
