With only four games remaining in the 2017 regular season, the Houston Astros will head to Boston for a four game series. After the Cleveland Indians managed to put away the recent American League Wild Card, clinching Minnesota Twins, the focus turns towards the Astros.
The postseason is officially a week away, and yet there is still so much to play for. The Indians with their win today extended their hold on the home field advantage to one game, but with an Astros win tonight at Fenway Park, the race for first becomes one to keep an eye on. This makes this Red Sox and Astros series all the more pivotal.
The Astros come into Fenway riding a wave of momentum, and we’re talking the good kind. Houston has won 11 of their last 13 games, and during that span have outscored their opponents 84-34. While some may say that the bats are the only thing they have going, and why wouldn’t you given the bullpens second half trouble, the Astros have kept their oppositions bats silenced with a 2.46 ERA.
Guys, this is the dangerous Astros team that was around during the first half of the season, and man alive does that spell trouble for their Divisional Round opponent. That is, unless you’re the Boston Red Sox who have won 10 of their last 13.
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This series doesn’t feel like any ordinary series, but rather a preview for what happens next week. Both teams are not only going to get a feel for one another this weekend, but also have the huge advantage of scouting what to expect.
The Red Sox are 16-8 in the month of September, and while they have potential CY Young winner Chris Sale the Astros also have Justin Verlander who since signing with Houston is 5-0 with 1.06 ERA. Personally, I hope these two teams trot out Sale and Verlander Sunday afternoon to give the baseball community something to gossip about heading into next week.
The pitching matchups for this series are also notable with Peacock facing Rodriguez Thursday night, Morton vs Fister Friday, and McCullers Jr. facing Pomeranz. The Astros and Red Sox still have uncertainty surrounding what direction they will go in for starting rotations, and who will be the crucial relief for October.
With the Astros on the Indians tail, this series will not be a gimme, and the Red Sox will be damned if they just allow Houston to come to Boston and toss them around. Although Houston has scored 37 runs in their last three games, rest assured knowing Boston is not only up for the task at hand, but they will also look to silence those bats with a playoff matchup on the horizon.
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Whether or not “Dirty Water” will blare throughout Fenway, or the Astros will dominantly march into the postseason, remains to be unclear. One thing is for certain, the playoffs are here everyone, the playoffs are here!