A capsule look at the best-of-seven American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros: ___ Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1…
A capsule look at the best-of-seven American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros: ___ Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Houston,8:07 p.m. (Fox); Game 2, Saturday, at Houston,4:20 p.m. (Fox and FS1); Game 3, Monday, Oct.18, at Boston,8:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 4, Tuesday, Oct.19, at Boston, TBD (Fox); x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct.20, at Boston, TBD (Fox); x-Game 6, Friday, Oct.22, at Houston, TBD (Fox); x-Game 7, Saturday, Oct.23, at Houston, TBD (Fox or FS1). x-if necessary. ___ Season Series: Astros won 5-2. ___ BOSTON RED SOX Record: 92-70. Playoff Entry: AL wild card. Manager: Alex Cora (third season; two stints). Projected Rotation: LHP Chris Sale (5-1,3.16 ERA,52 Ks,42 2/3 IP in 9 starts after return from Tommy John surgery), RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-9,3.75,195 Ks in 182 1/3 IP), LHP Eduardo Rodríguez (13-8,4.74), RHP Nick Pivetta (9-8,4.53). Top Hitters: 3B Rafael Devers (.279,38 HRs,113 RBIs), SS Xander Bogaerts (.295,23,79), DH J.D. Martinez (.286,28,99), RF Hunter Renfroe (.259,31,96). Top Relievers: RHP Garrett Whitlock (8-4,1.96 ERA,2 saves), RHP Tanner Houck (1-5,3.52,87 Ks,21 BBs,69 IP in 18 games,13 starts), RHP Hansel Robles (3-5,4.43,14 saves with Minnesota and Boston), RHP Adam Ottavino (7-3,4.21,11 saves). October Glance: Red Sox are back in playoffs for first time since winning 2018 World Series. They advanced to Division Series by beating rival New York Yankees 6-2 at home in AL wild-card game behind Eovaldi. Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber hit early homers off Gerrit Cole at Fenway Park, and Alex Verdugo had three RBIs.… Boston then took down top-seeded and AL East champion Rays 3-1 in best-of-five ALDS, joining Minnesota Twins (1991 World Series) as only teams to clinch a postseason series with consecutive walk-off wins, according to STATS. Red Sox batted.341 with 9 homers and.915 OPS in the series.… These teams met in 2018 ALCS, when Boston eliminated defending champion Houston 4-1 on way to title. Astros downed Red Sox 3-1 in 2017 ALDS en route to their lone World Series crown. Cora was bench coach on that Houston club before guiding Red Sox to 2018 championship. Then he was let go by Boston and suspended by MLB for 2020 season for his role in Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal. He was rehired by Red Sox last offseason.… Boston finished fifth in AL East without Cora during pandemic-shortened 2020 season, making this the third time team has rebounded from a last-place finish to make the postseason.
