The Boston Red Sox will once again host the Tampa Bay Rays from Fenway Park on Saturday, as these rivals clash in Game 2 of the ALDS.
Each team enters with its own clear aspirations. Coming off a 12-2 rout, the Red Sox aim to repeat the process and open a commanding 2-0 series advantage. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will do everything possible to stop the bleeding now and even up the matchup before the backdrop shifts to Tropicana Field.
Still, all of that is very vague. Aren’t you wondering which circumstances the Rays and Red Sox need to exploit to achieve their desired results?
If so, you came to the right place.
Just like the one we created prior to the opener, here is a brief list of keys that will determine the final score.
*Stats provided by Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.