Free Pick | Sunday| MLB | April 16

Free Pick Sunday: #912 Boston Red Sox (Whitlock) -110 over Los Angeles Angels (Detmers) 12:35 PM CT

Boston might be the last place team in the AL East right now but the Red Sox have a positive run differential and the Red Sox already have five wins vs. left-handed starters this season, following going 23-13 vs. left-handed starters last season. A 1st round pick in 2020, Reid Detmers famously threw a no-hitter last May as part of a strong start to the season. The league figured him out by season’s end however as he wound up with an average season line. He has struggled in 2023 with a 5.59 ERA in fewer than 10 innings with walks a big issue. Boston has a patient lineup with one of the lower strikeout rates in the league and despite being a game below .500 the Red Sox are the #2 scoring team in baseball. The bullpen has been fine for Boston but starting pitching has been an adventure. Garrett Whitlock was an excellent reliever for Boston in 2021 and transitioned to starting role last season with success., His 2023 debut was a challenge but he also had to face the Rays on the road. The Angels have been a decent scoring team but an average hitting team in most areas while over the past 10 games the Angels have hit only .214 vs. right-handers. Both teams needed significant bullpen innings in a 9-7 win for the Red Sox yesterday as Boston has taken the first two games of this series. Los Angeles had five hits with runners in scoring position yesterday and still lost as Boston should be considered a serious threat to win again in this series in a pairing of young pitchers that have offered some unreliability as the Red Sox have been the much more consistent offensive team.  

Nelly’s Baseball has hit 60% the past five days – get 2/3 on Sunday!