Troy Tulowitzki’s Absence Advantageous for Red Sox as Boston Welcomes Rockies to Fenway
Tulowitzki was an NL MVP favorite at 6-1 along with Gonzalez and Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt (5-1) when the last MVP odds were released. However, Tulowitzki’s chances of winning the award took a major hit when he broke a rib during a June 13 game. He’s on the disabled list and likely won’t be back before the All-Star break. He’s hitting .347 (second in National League) with 16 homers and 51 RBIs.
Tulowitzki is clearly the top offensive shortstop in baseball, but just can’t stay healthy. This is his fifth trip to the disabled list in the last six seasons. Last season, Tulowitzki was limited to 47 games because of injuries. Colorado was 30-30 with him (including games in which he was still active) and 34-68 without him.
The team also is slumping this year without him, losing six of 10 since that June 13 game. The Rockies do enter having won the final two games of a series in Washington to end a five-game skid. Gonzalez remains a big-time threat as he is hitting .300 with 21 homers (tops in NL) and 57 RBIs. He, Goldschmidt and the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina are now the NL MVP favorites.
The hottest Rockie at the moment is outfielder Michael Cuddyer. The former Twin has a 21-game hitting streak, the third-longest in franchise history and longest in MLB this year. Actually, he has hit safely in each of the last 26 games that he has started, which is a franchise record (he had one game where he didn’t get a knock as a pinch-hitter). Cuddyer has reached base in a team-record 40-straight games. His average is up to .339.
This is just a quick two-game trip to Boston for Colorado and thus there won’t be a series betting line. However, the Sox will be significant favorites in both games. They are -173 on the moneyline for Tuesday?s game. The Rockies start righty Juan Nicasio that night. The team has lost his past two starts, in which Nicasio has allowed nine runs over 10.2 innings. He has never faced Boston and no Red Sox player has faced him in the majors.
On Wednesday, the Rockies start former All-Star Roy Oswalt (0-1, 7.20), a player the Sox showed some interest in the past two seasons. He chose to sign with Texas last season and made his Rockies debut on June 20, allowing four runs and nine hits in a loss at Washington. He struck out 11, one shy of a career high. Wednesday’s game will have Live Betting available.
Boston and Colorado haven’t played since June 2010, when the Rockies won two of three at Fenway. Cuddyer feasts off John Lackey, Boston’s scheduled starter Wednesday, in his career, batting .316 with three homers in 19 at-bats. Gonzalez is 5-for-9 with one home run in his career versus Ryan Dempster, Tuesday’s starter.
This post is presented by Bovada.
