ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Red Sox travel to Tropicana Field in St. Pete, after an emotional game in Fenway against the Yankees. The Rays come into this series as heavy favorites, considering how hot they were to end the season, winning 7 out of their last 10 games. The Vegas odds have the Rays at -175 in game 1, and they have not yet put out the odds for the series as a whole.

STARTING PITCHERS

The Red Sox, at the point, while I was writing this article, still haven't named a starting pitcher. I would not be surprised to see Chris Sale announced soon, but one thing could keep that from happening. Chris Sale, since he started on Sunday, was left off the Wild Card roster. Cora had told some media members that Sale went by his office multiple times to try and convince the Red Sox manager to pitch against the Yankees. Cora cited "The Changeup" being the reason for Sale's slight struggles. The manager seems that if it weren't for the pitch being slightly off, Sale would be October ready.

On the Rays side, they have 2 rookie pitchers starting both games 1 and 2 of the series at the top. In-game 1, Shane McClanahan will be on the bump for the Rays. McClanahan has pitched against the Red Sox 3 for a total of 16 innings this year. In those 16 innings, he gave up 15 hits and 5 earned runs. So, just doing some quick math, that means, on average, he gives up less than one hit an inning when he goes up against the Red Sox. However, October baseball is entirely different than the regular season. This will probably be the biggest Rays crowd he has ever seen, and the pressure will be on. The Rays bullpen is one of their biggest strengths, so except for McClanahan to be pulled early and a lot of relievers to come in throughout the game.

QUESTIONS GOING INTO THE GAME

For the Rays, the biggest question is can they stay hot? This team made it to the World Series last year, but with no fans in the stands. Will this affect the play of the Rays? This team is young; with new additions like Wander Franco and the 2 rookie starting pitchers, the experience might not be entirely on their side. It will defiantly be interesting to see how this young rotation and lineup does with real October pressure.

The Red Sox big question is none other than JD Martinez. In Sunday's matchup against the Nationals, JD tripped over 2nd base and sprained his ankle while running to left field. He was left off the roster for the Wild Card game due to this injury. Cora said before Tuesday's game that JD's ankle looked "humongous," and that was the reason he couldn't play. However, the good news is that the organization said surgery would not be needed, so hopefully, we see him sometime during this Rays series.

FINAL PREDICTIONS

From seeing how Boston played in the Wild Card game, this series should be a lot closer than expected. After the high emotions of Tuesday, the Sox will probably come out a little bit more sluggish than expected, but with a young rotation, expect the Red Sox bats to take advantage.