Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros: 3 X-factors to watch in ALCS
The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros are set to begin the 2021 American League Championship Series on Friday night at Minute Maid Park, with the winner representing the AL in the World Series.
In what is expected to be a high-octane series between two franchises that have represented the AL in three of the last four World Series, let’s take a look at three players who could make a big difference in the matchup after scuffling some in the ALDS round.
Let’s look at 3 interesting players who could be X-factors in the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros
We start on the mound with Boston starting pitcher Chris Sale, who was absolutely hammered by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. The 32-year-old southpaw lasted just one inning in his only appearance against the Rays, giving up five hits on four runs and also walking a batter.
The big question is how the Red Sox will use Sale in the ALCS. It is not a question of if, according to Boston manager Joey Cora, who adamantly defended his starting pitcher after the Game 2 loss in St. Petersburg.
“Hey man, we count on this guy,” Cora said postgame. “He is going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish and we’ll get him right. We’ll get him right.”
Sale returned to the mound in August after Tommy John surgery and was solid for the Red Sox in his nine starts the rest of the way, striking out 52 in 42.2 innings of work and posting a 3.16 ERA and 3.69 FIP. However, the Sale who took the mound in the ALDS looked nothing like the one from the postseason.
Command looked to be Sale’s biggest problem against the Rays. If he can bounce back against Houston, it will be a big plus for the Red Sox.
Let’s stick with the Red Sox but move to the offensive side of the equation for our next X-factor. That is Bobby Dalbec, who went 0-for-6 with a pair of strikeouts against Tampa Bay in the ALDS.
Why Bobby Dalbec could be an X-factor for the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS
The 26-year-old Dalbec totaled an even 100 hits on the season, including 25 home runs as part of a .240/.298/.494 slash line. The power was certainly there for Dalbec, but so were the strikeouts as he whiffed in 156 of his 417 at-bats this season (37.4 percent of the time).
Dalbec was red hot in August, posting a .339/.431/.774 slash line with a 1.205 OPS. Those numbers cooled somewhat the rest of the season, but his .928 OPS in September and October was the second-highest for him of the campaign, following August’s streak.
He entered the postseason on a tear, but is a combined 0-for-10 against the New York Yankees in the AL Wild Card game and versus the Rays. And, yes, strikeouts have been an issue, with four of the 10 postseason at-bats ending with a K. Can Dalbec’s power play a role for the Red Sox in a series where they may need to outscore the Astros to grab a victory? The answer to that could play a big part in Boston’s success or lack thereof in the ALCS.
Let’s flip over to the Astros and take a look at an interesting candidate to be an X-factor for Houston.
Why Yuli Gurriel of the Houston Astros will be interesting to watch in the ALCS
The 32-year-old Gurriel was a force for Houston in the regular season, posting an American League-leading .319 batting average along with 15 home runs and 81 RBI. However, in the ALDS matchup against the Chicago White Sox, Gurriel slumped at the plate, going just 3-for-17 with a pair of RBI. His struggle was enough that manager Dusty Baker dropped him to seventh in the lineup in Game 3 of the series. During the regular season, Gurriel batted lower than fifth in just 12 starts.
There is certainly every reason to believe that Gurriel will find his stroke against the Red Sox. After all, he entered the postseason hot at the plate, posting a .343/.387/.431 slash line in 102 at-bats over September and October play. He’s also feasted on Red Sox pitching this season, logging a .429/.480/.762 slash line with an OPS of 1.242 in 21 at-bats.
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Houston never scored less than six runs in any of its matchups against the White Sox in the ALDS, so the offense is already in high gear. If Gurriel finds his swing as well, the Astros could be an even more formidable foe for the Red Sox to try to conquer.