The Boston Red Sox host the Cincinnati Reds in a Wednesday afternoon matchup at Fenway Park on July 2, 2025. First pitch is set for 2:30 PM ET. This is the final game of a three-game series. Boston is 43-41 and fighting to stay above .500. Cincinnati enters at 38-46 and has lost five of its last seven games overall.
The Red Sox won the series opener 13-6 thanks to two home runs from Wilyer Abreu, including a rare inside-the-park grand slam. That game marked the third time in a week the Red Sox scored at least 13 runs. Boston is averaging 6.3 runs over its last six games. Cincinnati allowed seven first-inning runs in that loss and used five pitchers. Brady Singer will start for the Reds while Richard Fitts gets the ball for Boston.
Red Sox Preview – Power Surge Leads Bounce-Back Effort
Boston has won back-to-back games after dropping seven of the previous eight. Their offense is heating up with 31 runs scored over the last three games. Wilyer Abreu has been a big part of the turnaround, hitting three home runs in three days and raising his season total to 16.
Richard Fitts will make his fourth start of the season. He is 0-3 with a 4.68 ERA and is coming off a no-decision against the Angels. Fitts pitched four innings, allowed two runs, and struck out six in that outing. He has never faced the Reds before.
Boston’s bullpen has dealt with injuries but held firm recently. Jordan Hicks made his Red Sox debut with a clean inning and touched 100.5 mph. Overall, Boston’s relievers have a 3.85 ERA, but they are missing several arms, including Liam Hendriks, Josh Winckowski, and Lucas Guerrero. The offense will need to keep producing to support the pitching staff.
Reds Preview – Looking for Stability Amid Injuries
Cincinnati enters this game with several key injuries on both sides of the roster. Graham Ashcraft, Hunter Greene, and Brandon Williamson are all on the IL. The rotation has been patchwork lately, and the bullpen has logged a heavy workload. Chase Burns lasted just 0.1 innings on Monday, giving up five earned runs in his second career start.
Brady Singer is 7-6 with a 4.31 ERA this season. He’s allowed 28 hits and 12 earned runs in 21 career innings against Boston. In his last outing, Singer gave up four runs over five innings. He has walked 30 and struck out 84 over 95 innings in 2025.
The Reds have played tight games recently, but pitching depth remains an issue. The bullpen has a 4.73 ERA on the year and has struggled in high-leverage spots. Closer Alexis Diaz has 18 saves but has blown three chances and walked 22 batters in 38 innings. Offensively, Cincinnati has averaged just 3.9 runs per game over the last 10 contests.
Betting Prediction
The Red Sox are favored at -135 on the moneyline with a total set at 9.5. Boston is 5-2 in its last seven games at home and has hit the F5 team total over in 19 of its last 29 games. They’ve also hit the F5 moneyline in seven of their last nine home games, showing better starts when playing at Fenway.
Cincinnati has been more consistent on the F5 run line, covering in 41 of 75 games, but the pitching injuries are stacking up. Boston’s offense is in much better shape right now, with Abreu swinging a hot bat and more power showing across the lineup. With Fitts likely to limit damage and Singer’s past struggles against Boston, a 6-4 Red Sox win is the projection. Boston should also lead early with the first five innings leaning their way.
Pick: Red Sox -135
