Call to the pen
Fansided

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros: 3 X-factors to watch in ALCS

By Kevin Henry

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel hits a single
Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel (10) hits a single and drives in two runs against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning in game two of the 2021 ALDS at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

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.

Next. Was this Carlos Correa's goodbye moment with the Astros?. dark

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.

Home/Boston Red Sox