Red Sox Lean on Gray Over Struggling Painter in First Five Innings vs Phillies

Wednesday marks a getaway day in Major League Baseball, with many series wrapping up and a full slate of games across the league. One standout matchup pits the Philadelphia Phillies against the Boston Red Sox, where bettors have a clear edge in the early going.

The Phillies sit at 20-22 this season, a step back from last year's strong showing. They re-signed Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto in the offseason, but results fell short. After a 9-19 start, the team fired its manager. Don Mattingly took over, and the Phillies went 11-3 under him.

Andrew Painter starts for Philadelphia. The right-hander is 1-4 with a 6.89 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. His road numbers are worse: 12 earned runs in 14.2 innings over three starts. His last outing was his poorest, with eight earned runs in 3.2 innings. Boston has not faced him before, though opponents hit .295 against him the first time through the order.

The Red Sox are 17-24, below expectations for an AL East contender. They scored 157 runs, one of the league's lowest totals. The team fired manager Alex Cora but went just 7-7 since. Cora had turned down the Phillies' job days earlier, per reports.

Sonny Gray starts for Boston. Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason, he is 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. At Fenway Park, his ERA drops to 1.80. He has reached the sixth inning just twice in six starts. Phillies hitters bat .250 against him. Alec Bohm is 6-for-13 versus Gray; Schwarber is 2-for-24 with 10 strikeouts.

The pick favors the Red Sox through five innings at -135. Gray offers reliability at home, while Painter struggles overall and especially on the road.