Three Things: Rays vs. Red Sox Game 2

1. David Price. Price won the play-in game for the Tampa Bay Rays by pitching a complete game, giving up seven hits and two runs against the Texas Rangers. The left hander will be the key for victory against the Red Sox. In order for the Rays to win game two and tie the series, Price will need to duplicate his performance in the Wild Card game. In five games against the Red Sox in 2013, Price has pitched 32 2/3 innings while allowing just 19 hits and 9 runs. Price has the Red Sox number and I expect him to go at least 7 innings while giving up 3 or fewer runs.
2. Dustin Pedroia. He is the spark plug for the Red Sox and he must get on base, drive in runs, and ultimately, do his thing in order for the Red Sox to win. In his career, Pedroia has hit .267/.353/422 against Price (12 hits in 45 Abs) including four doubles and one homerun.
3. David Ortiz. Big Papi has not fared as well in his lefty-lefty match up against David Price. In 37 at-bats, Ortiz only has 8 hits (3 doubles, 0 homeruns) for a paltry slash line of .216/.310/.297. If Ortiz continues with this line and cannot figure out Price in Game 2, it will be a long day for the Red Sox offense.

The Rays will even up the series today with a strong performance from David Price. However, it will not be a pitching duel. As a team, the Rays are hitting .305/.366/.464 against John Lackey. The Rays offense will come alive and Desmond Jennings will break out of his slump that has been hurting the lineup. In Game 1, Jennings sported an 0-3 line with 2 strikeouts.  My final predication is a 6-2 Rays win.