The Red Sox' and Rangers' Thursday game featured both teams' strengths and weaknesses; poor pitching, especially in relief, and solid hitting. Friday's game may be similar. The Rangers start left-handed veteran Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel spent a month in the wilderness before emerging with the Rangers, but it hasn't helped his pitching. He allowed 7 runs and 11 hits over 5 innings in his return start.

Pivetta has been a trooper for the Red Sox this year and has an ERA of 4.12 over his last 7 starts. He struggled against the Rays last time out, allowing 5 runs in 5 innings. He has an ERA of close to a run higher when pitching in Fenway, and doesn't usually go for more than 5 innings.

The Red Sox are hitting very well of late, and especially vs. left handers. The Rangers are scoring runs in bunches. Both pens struggled on Thursday, and will probably have plenty of innings to work on Friday. Thursday's game ended with 17 runs scored, 10 of them in the late innings. Keuchel is not a good bet for a quality start. A similar outcome wouldn't surprise me in game two of the series. Take the Rangers and Sox to go over.