Boston Red Sox Visit Houston Astros — Series Preview

The Boston Red Sox visit Houston for four games with the Astros.

This will be the first of two series between Boston and Houston, with three games at Fenway Park set for August 28 through August 30. Last season, the Astros won only two of the six games between the clubs.

In the season finale on August 3, the Astros won a 6-1 decision. Trey Mancini (11) hit a second inning two-run shot to make the score 4-0. Jose Altuve led Houston’s offense with four hits, inclding a double. Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker also had two hits each. Jose Urquidy earned the victory with his best start of the year, striking out 10 over seven two-hit no-walk shutout innings.Seth Martinez pitched a clean eighth before Will Smith allowed a solo home run to Xander Bogaerts (9) to spoil the shutout.

Over their shared history, the Red Sox have handled Houston well, holding the Astros to a 31-38 record and a .449 winning percentage. The two also have a history in the postseason, with Houston holding an 8-7 edge. Houston won the 2017 ALDS, three-games-to-one, lost the 2018 ALCS, four-games-to-one, and won the 2021 ALCS in six games.

Gametimes and Starting Pitching

Tonight at 7:10 PM CT — James Paxton (7-3, 3.34) vs. Cristian Javier (8-2, 4.49)
Tuesday at 7:10 PM CT — Tanner Houck (3-6, 5.05) vs. Justin Verlander (8-6, 3.36)
Wednesday at 7:10 PM CT — Aaron Sale (5-3, 4.50) vs. Jose Urquidy (2-3, 5.21)
Thursday at 1:10 PM CT — Brayan Bello (9-7, 3.70) vs. JP France (9-4, 2.75)

The Astros will be closing out a seven-game homestand with Boston, after getting swept in three by the Seattle Mariners. Houston put up a fight in the finale, but ultimately lost by a 7-6 final. Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña all collected a pair of hits in defeat, while Hunter Brown (9-9, 4.50) took the loss. Brown allowed six runs in 2 ²⁄₃ innings, striking out five but giving up eight hits and a pair of walks.

The Sox will be completing a 10-game roadtrip, after winning one-of-three against the Washington Nationals and sweeping the New York Yankees in three. In the final game of the series, yesterday, Boston rode home runs from Rafael Devers (29) and Justin Turner (20) to power a 6-5 victory. Devers added a single and a double to his total, while Turner finished with four RBI on a pair of hits. Pablo Reyes also had a pair of hits in the game. Chris Martin (4-1, 1.29) earned the win in relief, and Kenley Jansen (29) earned the save.

Schadenfraude isn’t pretty, but when it comes to the Yankees losing, I can’t help it.

Standings & Playoff Outlook

Houston Astros: 70-55, .560, second in the AL West, 2.5 games behind the Texas Rangers. Fourth in the AL, currently in possession of the second wildcard position. Sixth in MLB. On pace for 91-72. Last 10: LWWLLWWLLL. Playoff Odds: 64.0 percent.

Boston Red Sox: 66-58, .532, fourth in the AL East, 11 games behind the division leading Baltimore Orioles. Seventh in the AL, three games behind the final wildcard position. 11th in MLB. On pace for 86-76. Last 10: WWLWWLLWWW. Playoff Odds: 8.7 percent.

Fangraphs projections currently have Houston (5) visiting the Tampa Bay Rays (4) in the wildcard round. The Toronto Blue Jays (6) would visit the AL Central Champion Minnesota Twins (3), while the Baltimore Orioles (1) and the Texas Rangers (2) enjoy byes.

In the National League, The Atlanta Braves (1) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2) would get a week on the couch, while the San Francisco Giants (5) visit the Philadelphia Philles (4) and the Miami Marlins (6) visit the NL Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers (3).

While the Astros were getting swept by the up-and-coming Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox swept the fast-fading Bronx Bombers. Houston looks to reverse both trends starting tonight. How successful do you think they’ll be?