There could be a lot of runs scored tonight as the Texas Rangers host the Boston Red Sox live on ESPN at 8:05 PM EST. Vincente Padilla gets the start for the Rangers while Clay Buchholz was called up to take Tim Wakefield’s spot as Wakefield was put on the DL by the Red Sox on Tuesday. SBG Global reports that the early MLB wagering odds action sees the public taking the Red Sox on the road as a -135 favorite with a total 10 under -120.

Padilla allowed five earned runs in his last start against the Twins. He is 3-4 at home this season with a 6.00 ERA. He is 2-3 with a 4.84 ERA in his career against the Red Sox. Buchholz was 7-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 17 games for Triple A Pawtucket.

The Rangers are hoping that Nelson Cruz’s injury doesn’t hurt him too much down the stretch. Texas needs their slugger if they are to stay with the Angels in the American League West. Cruz has a small fracture in his ring finger but will play through it. It is similar to an injury that Michael Young had last season. "It’s definitely a battle," Young said. "The lower it is, the worse it is. You’ve got the knuckle involved, you may have ligament damage. It can be tough. But it can be done. Nelson is a tough player, he plays baseball all year. If anybody can pull through it, it’s Nellie." Cruz was named to the All-Star team and finished second in the Home Run Derby. "It’s frustrating," Cruz said. "The team needs me and I want to play. But you can’t control these things. You just have to handle it the best way." Cruz is listed as day to day and will not be put on the DL. Cruz is getting some advice from Young who had to deal with the injury last season. "I think he’ll be fine," Young said. "The biggest thing I told him is, don’t change your mechanics. That’s tough to do, because the body tries to compensate for the weak link. You’ve got to make sure you stay disciplined with your mechanics. But he’s a tough player. His mental toughness will kick in."

Take a look at the baseball wagering odds stats for tonight’s game. The Red Sox are 23-9 in their last 32 Wednesday games. The Rangers are 5-0 in their last 5 Wednesday games. The Rangers are 6-0 in Padilla’s last 6 Wednesday starts. The Under is 22-10-4 in the Red Sox last 36 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Under is 7-0 in Padilla’s last 7 starts overall.

Tampa Bay’s Scott Kazmir could have his work cut out for him on tonight as he faces a red-hot Texas offense at 8:05 PM EST. The Rangers have scored 18 runs in their last two games, back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Angels. Hank Blalock hit a two-run home run to give the Rangers a 9-7 win on Wednesday. "We won that game with heart, fight and desire," manager Ron Washington said, "You all had us in the grave, buried and with dirt on us. But we played good baseball tonight. … The character of the clubhouse showed up tonight." SBG Global reports that early Baseball Wagering Odds sees the public taking the Rays on the road as a -137 favorite with a total 10.5 over -115.

The Rangers (42-35) face lefthander Scott Kazmir on Friday. Kazmir was on the disabled list for much of the early part of the season but he came back last weekend and allowed only two runs and four hits to Florida. "I wanted to go out there and prove something," said Kazmir, "I can definitely build off this start and hopefully get on a roll. Kazmir is 4-0 with a 2.09 ERA in seven career starts against Texas.

Tampa Bay (44-36) is coming off a 5-0 loss at Toronto where they got only four hits. The loss snapped the Rays season-high seven-game winning streak. "We had chances, we just didn’t get it done," outfielder Pat Burrell said. The Rays will face Texas starter Tommy Hunter on Friday. Hunter is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

Take a look at the Sports Wagering stats for Friday’s game. The Rays are 6-0 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter. The Rays are 4-1 in their last 5 road games. The Rays are 18-6 in Kazmir’s last 24 starts vs. the American League West. The Rays are 7-0 in Kazmir’s last 7 starts vs. the Rangers. The Rangers are 9-3 in their last 12 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Rangers are 2-5 in the last 7 meetings between the two teams. The Under is 5-0 in the Rays last 5 overall. The Under is 7-1 in the Rays last 8 road games vs. a right-handed starter. The Over is 4-0 in Kazmir’s last 4 road starts. The Under is 5-1 in the Rangers last 6 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Under is 24-8-1 in the Rangers last 33 home games. The Under is 4-0 in Hunter’s last 4 starts overall. The Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Texas.