Red Sox Look to Bounce Back Behind Bennett After Dropping Series Opener

The Red Sox stumble into Wednesday night's rematch nursing a 4-2 loss and needing Jake Bennett to restore order in Arlington. Bennett (3.69 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) gets the assignment against MacKenzie Gore, and the gap between these two arms is the entire story. Gore's been leaking runs all season at a 4.62 clip with a bloated 1.35 WHIP — that's nearly a full run of ERA separation, the kind of mismatch that wins September ballgames when lineups are grinding through the dog days.

Boston's offense has been humming at a .750 OPS clip and gets a favorable draw against a Rangers staff that's allowed 4.31 runs per nine all year. Meanwhile, the Red Sox pitching corps (3.59 ERA) has been quietly excellent, neutralizing whatever modest edge Texas thinks it has playing at home. The visitors are 4-2 on the road recently while surrendering just three runs per game away from Fenway.

DarkHorse likes the Red Sox at -110, a confidence-2 play that banks on Bennett outdueling Gore and Boston's lineup exploiting Texas's shaky bullpen depth. Last night stings, but the pitching matchup screams regression to the mean. Take the better starter, the better staff, and the hotter road team. Red Sox even the series.