MLB Baseball
2026-06-12 - Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Friday 12th June 2026 - Scheduled 7:10pm EST
00:10am (British Time)
Preview
Going back to the pre-season expectations is a good reminder of how some teams are faring as we approach the halfway mark of the Major League regular season.
Both the Boston Red Sox (27-39) and the Texas Rangers (34-34) were seen as outsiders within their own Division, but teams that should be looking at Wild Card spots for Playoff places.
The Rangers are only a game out of the lead in the American League West and will feel like they are right in the midst of a Divisional battle.
However, Boston are currently propping up the American League East and are already 13.5 games out of the lead, which has reports building that the team will be trading key pieces away before the deadline next month. There is still time to change that narrative, but four losses in a row is keeping the pressure on all associated with the Red Sox.
On Friday they will give the ball to Sonny Gray who is a veteran in his first season in Beantown, but who has put together a 7-1 record with a 3.20 ERA in eleven starts in 2026. In recent years, Sonny Gray has been a consistent performer on the mound and his contract is one that is drawing interest from potential trade partners in the Major League.
For now Sonny Gray will continue in the Boston uniform and he has produced a 5-0 record and 2.50 ERA in seven starts since picking up his sole decision loss of the season. In his opening start in June, Gray held the New York Yankees to three runs into the 7th Inning and picked up the latest decision win.
Sonny Gray began his career in the same Division as the Texas Rangers and he has built up an 11-5 record and 2.87 ERA from nineteen appearances against them. Eighteen of those have been in starts, including keeping the Rangers scoreless in 7 Innings thrown against them last season.
The Rangers will counter by handing the ball to Jack Leiter who has a 3-5 record and 4.69 ERA in thirteen starts made in what is his third season in the Majors. A very strong sophomore campaign in 2025 has raised expectations around the young pitcher, but he has not quite got up to full speed on the mound.
Jack Leiter does have a 2-1 record in his last four starts, but it should be noted that he has allowed at least four runs in three of those outings. That includes being knocked around for five runs in his last start when Jack Leiter failed to get through 5 Innings and ultimately picked up the decision loss.
Last season Jack Leiter made two starts against Boston and finished with a 1-1 record and 4.35 ERA.
These two teams are meeting in a series for the first time since last May- Boston took two of three at Fenway Park against the Rangers in that three game set.
Prediction
It is not easy trusting a team like the Boston Red Sox who have massively underperformed through to this stage of the regular season.
Trade reports are building up around key players, including Sonny Gray going to the mound on Friday, but those are not likely to be on the mind until later in the month for most players.
Sonny Gray continues to impress and he can out-duel Jack Leiter and set the Red Sox up for an opening win in this three game set against the Texas Rangers.
The Pick :
Boston Red Sox 6-3 Texas Rangers
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Boston Red Sox to Win at -126 with EveryGame Sports
