The set-up: The Boston Red Sox are beginning to show more of a consistent offense. The team's 7-5 win (11 innings) over Texas in Monday's series opener gives Boston five consecutive victories in which the team has scored at least six runs games. While the Yankees have struggled since mid-June, Boston has surged in that same time frame and Monday's win keeps the first-place Red Sox three games clear of the rival New York Yankees in the AL East (Boston is 48-35 and New York 44-37). The Rangers are stuck in the AL West with the Astros (owners of MLB's best record at 56-27) and have lost five of their last six to fall three games under .500 (40-43) and 16 games back of Houston.

The pitching matchup: David Price (3-2 & 4.61 ERA) takes the mound for Boston and Yu Darvish (6-6 & 3.11 ERA) for Texas. Price got a late start to the 2017 season due to injury and has also been sidetracked by getting into fights with local reporters and broadcasters. However, he is beginning to pitch well, entering this July 4 contest with a string of four straight starts of allowing three or fewer ERs. He matched season highs with seven strikeouts and seven innings pitched against Minnesota on Thursday and did not walk a batter in a 6-3 win. Price has had much success against Texas in his career though, going 3-9 with a 5.42 ERA in 17 starts (teams are better though with an 8-9 record, despite that high ERA). Darvish has pitched well lately, allowing a total of just two ERs over 13 innings in the last two starts. Darvish may be just 6-6 on the season but he has surrendered more than three runs just once in his last 13 outings and is holding opponents to a .205 batting average. Darvish hasn't faced Boston since 2014 and is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings over three starts against the Red Sox in his career (Texas is 2-1).

The pick: Two All-Stars caliber pitchers take the mound in this one and both have pitched well as of late. With that in mind, the Under is a 10* play.