The Boston Red Sox are set to return home to take on the New York Mets for a three-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox are coming in off their first series loss since June 29, dropping two out of three to the A’s; however, they are currently 11-4 in their last 15 games. The Red Sox, despite losing the series, outscored Oakland 12-9 in the three games. The Mets are coming into this series after being swept by the Chicago White Sox in three games. The last time these two teams faced was back in 2021 when they did two games at Fenway and two games at Citi Field; the Red Sox won all four games against the Mets that season, outscoring them 21-9.
Boston Red Sox (51-46) vs. New York Mets (45-51)
Game 1:
Date: Friday, July 21
Time: 7:10 PM EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 2:
Date: Saturday, July 22
Time: 4:10 PM EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 3:
Date: Sunday, July 23
Time: 7:10 PM EST
Broadcast: ESPN
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Game 1: Kutter Crawford (4-4, 3.74 ERA) vs. Kodai Senga (7-5, 3.20 ERA)
Crawford will start the series for the Red Sox, and he is making his 19th appearance and his 11th start. He is coming off an outstanding pitching performance against the Cubs in which he went six innings, not allowing a run and only giving up one hit; he walked four and struck out nine. Crawford this season posts a 4.08 FIP, a 1.12 WHIP, a 2.3 BB/9, and a 9.0 K/9. Crawford has never faced the Mets in his career. Kodai Senga will oppose Crawford in the series opener; Senga has never faced the Red Sox. Senga’s last start came against the Dodgers, and he went six innings giving up one run on four hits; he walked two and struck out nine. Senga posts a 3.87 FIP, a 1.26 WHIP, a 4.6 BB/9, and an 11.5 K/9.
Game 2: James Paxton (5-2, 3.51 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (8-3, 3.99 ERA)
Paxton will get the middle game for the Red Sox; he was supposed to start the series opener, but when the Mets announced Scherzer as the starter for the Mets, they flip-flopped him and Crawford, which they were allowed to do thanks to the off day. Paxton’s last start was his worst of the season, and it came against the Cubs, in which he went only three innings giving up six runs on three hits; he walked three and struck out four. Paxton comes into this start which will be his 12th of the season, with a 3.94 FIP, a 1.03 WHIP, a 2.6 BB/9, and a 10.4 K/9. Paxton against the Mets in his career has made three starts and is 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. Scherzer gets the ball for the Mets and is making his 18th start posting a 4.42 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, a 2.5 BB/9, and a 10.2 K/9. His last start came against the Dodgers, in which he went seven innings, did not allow a run on one hit; he walked three and struck out six. In his career against the Red Sox, Scherzer has made 12 starts and is 5-5 with a 5.51 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP.
Game 3: Opener/Nick Pivetta (6-5, 4.44 ERA) vs. Carlos Carrasco (3-3, 5.35 ERA)
In the final game, the Red Sox will use an opener, and then Nick Pivetta gets the bulk of the work out of the bullpen; lately, the opener has been Brennan Bernadino. Pivetta, since moving to the bullpen, has made 15 appearances and is 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA, a 2.72 FIP, a 0.83 WHIP, a 3.60 BB/9, and a 13.37 K/9. Breaking down Pivetta even more, his numbers when he has been the guy to get the bulk of the work after the opener, he has made four appearances going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA, a 2.15 FIP, a 0.76 WHIP, a 3.44 BB/9, and a 16.69 K/9. In his career against the Mets, Pivetta has made nine appearances, with eight being starts, and he is 4-2 with a 5.36 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. The Mets will roll out Carlos Carrasco for the finale, who is making his 14th start of the season; he posts a 5.96 FIP, a 1.44 WHIP, a 4.0 BB/9, and a 6.6 K/9. Carrasco has made eight appearances against the Red Sox, with six being starts. In his starts against the Red Sox, Carrasco is 0-3 with an 8.56 ERA and a 2.12 WHIP.
Red Sox vs. Mets Batting Leaders
Series Prediction:
The way this Red Sox season has gone this seems like a series they get swept; they get hot, go on a winning streak, then lose a few games. But the Mets are not a good team, as they currently sit in fourth place in the National League East. The Red Sox will also have two of their three healthy “starters” going, and with the way Pivetta has pitched, this could be an excellent series for the Red Sox; however, I am sure they’ll find a way to lose one, so I’ll take two out of three for the Red Sox over the Mets in this series.
