By Chris Garcia
The Houston Astros (65-58) meet once again with the Boston Red Sox (67-54) today at 7:10 p.m. at Minute Maid Park, beginning the three-game divisional series between the two clubs.
The two clubs faced each other earlier this month, where Houston swept Boston under the rug, winning all three away games, 8-4, 5-4, and 10-2. Besides being a better team, the Astros have the extra advantage, not having to embark on a trip up north towards Massachusetts. The two teams have met on three occasions in the postseason, with the Astros being up two in the previous matchups. Their most recent altercation was in the 2021 American League Conference Series, where the Astros defeated the Red Sox in six games, however the Red Sox beat the Astros three years prior in the 2018 ALCS, going on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in the 2018 World Series.
The first time these two clubs met in the postseason was in the 2017 American League Divisional Series. In game 4 of the ALDS series, Houston was down 3-2 in the 8th inning, but a comeback ensued after infielder Alex Bregman hit a solo homerun off left-handed pitcher Chris Sale. After, outfielder Carlos Beltran and outfielder Josh Reddick proudly brought 2 RBIs to win the division series. howeverfram the Astros defeated the Red Sox at Fenway Park, winning the series in four games, 3-1, thus going on to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win their first World Series in the most memorable, historical way.
The Astros are looking strong, especially with Framber Valdez’s dominant performance on Sunday. With his eighth consecutive win, he’s clearly been a key factor in their success. Houston’s pitching depth and overall team performance are keeping them ahead in the AL West. The 4-game lead over the Mariners is solid, but with the season’s intensity ramping up, maintaining that advantage will be crucial. Framber Valdez was stellar on the mound, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out nine in seven scoreless innings. This performance marked his eighth straight win in his last 10 games.
Yusei Kikuchi will be expected to start today’s game, after his recent start this past Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, pitching five innings in each game. He only allowed one earned run over five innings, striking out five and giving up three hits this past Tuesday. Overall, he has struck out 24 hitters in under 17 innings across his Houston starts. Kikuchi will be expected to be red hot as he always is, in hopes of sweeping Boston this season.
Right-handed pitcher Greg Weissert replaces Bailey Horn, who was sent back to the Worchester Red Sox. After a demotion, Weissert looks to redeem himself for Boston. Boston was expected to start with right handed pitcher Tanner Houck, in his last start against Texas last week, he earned a no-decision after giving up two earned runs over 6.2 innings. He allowed six hits and two walks, while striking out three batters.
Houston is heating up at the perfect moment. With a four-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the American League West, the Astros are in a strong position. Meanwhile, the defending champion Texas Rangers are 11 games behind. Seattle, 5.5 games back from the final Wild Card spot, faces a tough road. To secure an eighth consecutive playoff appearance, the Astros will need to clinch the division.
