The Boston Red Sox, fresh off their 3-1 series win over the 100 win and American League East Division Champion Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, are now in Houston preparing to face the A.L. West Champion Astros in the ALCS beginning Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
The bats for Boston picked a good time to come alive starting with the Wild Card game win over the New York Yankees. The only regular starters batting less than .300 in the postseason so far have been Christian Arroyo (.263) and Bobby Dalbec who has seen 10 at bats (0-10). JD Martinez, who returned from injury in Game 2 against Tampa, has gone 7-15 (.467) with a double, a game winning homerun in that Game 2 win at Tropicana Field, and four RBI. The playoff emergence of Kike Hernandez has propelled the Sox into this ALCS. Hernandez went 9 for his last 16 at the plate against the Rays including two homeruns, three doubles, and overall in the postseason is at .435 with six RBI. He also had the sacrifice fly on Monday night in the bottom of the ninth inning that advanced Boston in this next best of seven series. Christian Vazquez (.353), Xander Bogaerts (.350), Alex Verdugo (.348), Kyle Schwarber (.316), Rafael Devers (.300), and Hunter Renfroe (.300) have also been huge contributors.
Nathan Eovaldi, who seemed like the odds on favorite to start Game 1 of the ALCS, has been the pitching leader so far. The right hander is 1-0 in two starts with a 2.61 ERA allowing just three earned runs in 10.1 innings with 16 strikeouts and only one walk. Eduardo Rodriguez, who struggled some in a Game 1 loss at Tampa Bay, put things together only allowing two earned runs in 5.0 innings in a no-decision in Game 4 on Monday night. The bullpen has been for the most part really solid, getting contributions from Tanner Houck (2.57 ERA), Garrett Whitlock (2.08), and even Nick Pivetta (3.12) who stepped huge up in the 13 inning win on Sunday night. Pivetta is expected to be back in a starters role in the ALCS. Chris Sale who allowed five runs in 1.0 inning in Game 2 of the ALDS and didn’t pitch again vs the Rays, is going to be the Game 1 starter in Houston announced manager Alex Cora on Thursday. Framber Valdez will start the opener for the Astros. Valdez only made one outing and went 4.1 innings out of the bullpen against Chicago allowing four earned runs and seven hits.
Houston, who won the West with a regular season record of 95-67, dispatched the Central Division Champion Chicago White Sox 3-1 in the other ALDS matchup. The Red Sox and Astros meet in the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 ALCS in a series won 4-1 by Boston on their way to a World Series Title. First pitch on Friday night for Game 1 is scheduled for 8:07 p.m., with game two also in Houston on Saturday. The series shifts to Boston for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday, and a possible Game 5 Wednesday. The if necessary Games 6 and 7 would be back in Houston Friday and Saturday 10/22 and 10/23.
