Cleveland Guardians vs. Boston Red Sox April 28 Betting Preview

The Cleveland Guardians (12-13) are back in action on Friday, April 28th, as they head to Fenway Park to battle the Boston Red Sox (13-13) for a three-game series. 

The Guardians grabbed a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies to keep from being swept, and they have now lost three series in a row. Similarly, Boston dropped two of three games to the Orioles in their last series, but come into this matchup having played much better baseball as of late.

Nick Pivetta (1-1) will take the hill for Boston, while Cleveland will have Shane Bieber (1-1) on the mound. These American League foes are both looking to get back in the win column and move up the ladder in their respective divisions. Take a look below and see who will potentially come out on top.

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Guardians Lose Third Straight Series

The Guardians salvaged their series with the lowly Colorado Rockies with a 4-1 win on Wednesday. Cleveland has played some uninspiring baseball up to this point.

The Cleveland faithful should be concerned about their teams’ offensive performance up to this point. The Guardians rank dead last in home runs, 28th in runners left in scoring position, and are 23rd in team batting average (.231). Right-handed pitching has particularly given them fits where they hold a .226 batting average (26th), a .312 on-base percentage (20th), and an 80 wRC+ (25th).

Luckily, Guardians’ ace Shane Bieber will get the ball for Cleveland, and he has had no problem pitching deep into games, going at least 5.2 innings in all five of his starts up to this point. Be that as it may, after throwing six innings of scoreless baseball to start the year, April hasn’t been too kind to Biber, who sports a 4.01 ERA in four starts this month. 

Red Sox Cool Down After Three Straight Series Victories

The Boston Red Sox on the other hand, come into this matchup having played much better baseball after starting the year with a 5-8 record. Despite losing their last series to the Baltimore Orioles, the Red Sox had won three straight series prior to that. 

The Red Sox have been the exact opposite of Cleveland up to this point. Their offense has been one of the most potent units in the league as they come into this one scoring the fourth most runs per game (5.31), the sixth most doubles (1.92), and the eighth-highest slugging % in the league (.429). Fans should watch out for third baseman Rafael Devers who has the third most home runs in the league (9). 

On the mound, Cleveland draws right-hander Nick Pivetta, who has struggled in his last two starts. If there were a time for Cleveland to get hot, this would be it; Pivetta has surrendered nine earned runs over his last two starts including 12 hits and five free passes. 

What To Expect In This Matchup

Cleveland should have a big advantage in this matchup. The Guardians will have their ace in Shane Bieber on the mound and will have an off day to travel before playing in Boston. Cleveland has struggled at home, but on the road, they are an impressive 8-5. Additionally, they run into a right-hander that has struggled over his last two starts. 

Boston on the other hand, has also cooled off after losing two of three games from the Baltimore Orioles. Boston’s offense struggled in their last series, and Bieber should give them more fits. 

Expect the Guardians bats to heat up on the road, where they have played more comfortably, while the Red Sox will try to slug their way past Bieber. If the Guardians can jump on Pivetta early, the bullpen could keep this one a low-scoring affair, with Cleveland holding the advantage.