Red Sox Weekend Warmup: Can Boston Bounce Back Vs. Star-Studded Angels?

Let’s face it: This hasn’t been a good week for the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox seemingly built some momentum last weekend by sweeping the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, but they failed to build on that performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, losing four straight at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay remains unbeaten, with a perfect 13-0 record entering Friday, while Boston owns a 5-8 record, already eight games back of the American League East leaders.

To say it’s been a rollercoaster start to the season for Boston would be an understatement, as three of the Red Sox’s four series have been sweeps, for better or worse. But there’s no denying the lows have outweighed the highs to this point, something Red Sox manager Alex Cora and company will look to rectify this weekend as the Los Angeles Angels visit Fenway Park for four games.

By now, you probably know the book on the Halos: They’re led by Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani — two of the best players in Major League Baseball — yet playoff success has eluded them in recent years. Will 2023 be any different? Well, the Angels enter this weekend sitting atop the AL West standings — tied with the Texas Rangers, who also are 7-5 — thanks in large to improved pitching.

The Angels own the fifth-best team ERA (3.70) in MLB, whereas the Red Sox own the fifth-worst (5.42). Boston has more rotation reinforcements on the way, though, with Brayan Bello in line to join the staff either Monday or Tuesday and James Paxton not too far behind, if all goes well.

Of course, the Red Sox’s issues aren’t limited to the mound. Adam Duvall fractured his wrist and Masataka Yoshida missed the final two games of Boston’s series against Tampa Bay with hamstring tightness, forcing the Red Sox to cobble together a suboptimal lineup. But Yoshida’s ailment isn’t deemed serious. And Boston probably will lean heavily on Rob Refsnyder in the outfield this weekend as Los Angeles rolls out three straight left-handed starters before giving the ball to Shohei Ohtani for Monday’s Patriots’ Day series finale.

Red Sox odds (4/14)*
To win World Series: +7500
To win American League: +3000
To win AL East: +2500
To make playoffs: +420

Interestingly, the Red Sox’s World Series odds and American League odds actually improved after sitting at +8000 and +3200, respectively, last Friday at FanDuel Sportsbook. Boston’s three-game sweep of Detroit probably factored into that movement, though dropping four straight to Tampa Bay could mark the beginning of a shift in the other direction if the Red Sox don’t bounce back against the Angels this weekend.

The Angels were the favorites for Friday night’s series opener as of noon ET, sitting at -122 on the moneyline while the Red Sox sat at +104. The game’s total was set at over (-115)/under (-105) nine runs.

*Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Probable pitchers
— Friday, April 14 (7:10 p.m. ET vs. Angels): Tanner Houck, RHP (2-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Patrick Sandoval, LHP (1-0, 1.64 ERA)

— Saturday, April 15 (4:10 p.m. ET vs. Angels): Nick Pivetta, RHP (0-1, 0.90 ERA) vs. Tyler Anderson, LHP (1-0, 4.22 ERA)

— Sunday, April 16 (1:35 p.m. ET vs. Angels): Garrett Whitlock, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. Reid Detmers, LHP (0-0, 5.59 ERA)

— Monday, April 17 (11:10 a.m. ET vs. Angels): TBD vs. Shohei Ohtani, RHP (1-0, 0.75 ERA)

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Storylines to watch
1. How will Masataka Yoshida respond?
Yoshida didn’t just miss the final two games of the Red Sox’s series against the Rays with hamstring tightness. He’s also struggled a bit, going 3-for-20 over his last six games since hitting his first MLB home run April 3. This obviously isn’t enough to sound any alarms — it was inevitable he’d encounter some growing pains in his first season in the United States — and Yoshida still controlled the strike zone well, drawing five walks in that stretch. But Yoshida has been making weak contact, ranking in the 12th percentile in average exit velocity, while putting the ball on the ground all too frequently. It’ll be interesting to see what kinds of adjustments he makes upon returning to the lineup.

2. Just a hiccup for Garrett Whitlock?
Whitlock’s season debut Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla., left much to be desired, as he surrendered three home runs and allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings while suffering the loss. The 26-year-old gets a pass, with it being his first start off the injured list after recovering from hip surgery, but the Red Sox absolutely need him to be a factor this season. Prolonged struggles in the rotation would only lead to questions about whether he’s better suited for the bullpen, where he thrived in the past. He’s scheduled to start Sunday afternoon.

3. Will Brayan Bello debut on Marathon Monday … against Shohei Ohtani?
Bello is likely to start either Monday or Tuesday, with Chris Sale starting the other day. The Red Sox played it safe, with the 23-year-old experiencing forearm soreness during spring training, but he, like Whitlock, figures to be an important piece of Boston’s pitching staff this season. Bello flashed elite upside in his rookie campaign and has the potential to be the Red Sox’s best homegrown pitcher in years.