Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros Picks and Predictions August 9th 2024

There appears to be a chance for light rain in Boston on Friday, where the Red Sox and Astros face off at Fenway Park. The game is set to start at 7:10 PM ET. Ronel Blanco is starting for the Astros, and they are the slight underdog on the money line (+110). The Red Sox are favored at -130.

Friday’s forecasted temperature in Boston is 85 degrees. Houston is currently on a two-game winning streak, and they are 59-55 overall, which has them first in the AL West. The Red Sox are 3rd in the AL East, with a record of 61-52.

Houston vs. Boston Key Information

Houston is sending Ronel Blanco to the mound today, and he comes into the game with a record of 9-6 and an ERA of 2.98. Blanco has made 21 starts this year and has one complete game shutout to his name. Looking at his overall numbers, Blanco has allowed 19 home runs and is coming off a start where he allowed two homers. In that outing against the Rays, he took the loss, going five innings and giving up two earned runs. Blanco has taken the loss in three of his last four starts.

For the season, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a solid home team this season, averaging 4.8 runs per contest. As a team, the Astros are batting .259, which is 3rd in the league, and are 3rd in the league in fewest strikeouts per game.

Yainer Diaz has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/31 in his last eight games with one home run. Yordan Alvarez has also been good over that stretch, going 9/29 with two homers. Alvarez is 11th in the league this season with 22 home runs and is 2nd on the team with 58 RBIs.

Tanner Houck will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Rangers, as he gets the start for the Red Sox today. In that August 3rd start, he gave up six earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Houck ended up taking the loss in that outing. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts. Houck’s ERA for the season is 3.09, along with a record of 8-8. Looking at his overall numbers, he has one complete game shutout this year and 15 quality starts. Per nine innings, Houck is averaging 2.35 walks compared to 8.26 strikeouts.

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Rafael Devers has been a force for the Red Sox this season, as he is batting .304 with a league-leading 70 RBIs and 25 home runs, which is also the best mark on the team. Over his last 10 games, Devers has gone 16/42 (.381) with two homers and six RBIs. Tyler O’Neill and Jarren Duran are also having good seasons, with O’Neill having 22 homers and Duran sitting at 14.

One of the best-hitting teams in the league, the Red Sox are 2nd in batting average and have the best OPS in the league. As a team, they are averaging 5 runs per game and have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are also the league’s top-ranked team in terms of isolated power.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, as this Astros vs. Red Sox matchup is projected to be the 5th highest-scoring game of today’s league slate. As for a straight-up pick, we are leaning toward the Red Sox to come out on top. Boston’s offense has the 6th highest team hits projection, and Tanner Houck has the 2nd best chance to pick up a win among today’s starting pitchers.

Red Sox Seek Pitching Stability as Astros Look for Offensive Spark

As the Boston Red Sox prepare to have the Houston Astros on Friday, the emphasis is squarely on working on their pitching. While Boston’s offense has been terminating on all chambers, their pitching staff has battled powerfully, particularly since the All-Star break. The Red Sox are desperate for a strong performance on the hill as they start off a three-game series against the Astros, who are also hoping to light their offense.

Red Sox Offense Flourishing, Pitching Faltering

The Red Sox have been scoring runs at a great clasp, leading the majors with an average of 6.5 runs per game over their last 18 challenges. Nonetheless, their pitching has been a significant worry, with a team ERA of 5.96 during that same span — second most terrible in the league, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox. The starting rotation has been particularly shaky, posting a 9.20 ERA during a new six-game road trip that finished with a 8-4 misfortune to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Regardless of the unfortunate pitching, Boston managed to go 4-2 on the excursion, yet the strain on the warm up area is becoming obvious. Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey acknowledged the challenges, emphasizing the requirement for the staff to move forward.

“It doesn’t sit well with our pitching group,” Bailey told MassLive.com. “And I’m pretty sure I can speak for the pitchers in there, we don’t want to have so many games where the offense has to dig us out of holes or have comebacks and then have to score again.”

Bailey stressed the importance of making adjustments, particularly in terms of pitch execution and limiting walks. “We just have to keep grinding away. We’re doing as much as we can on the information side of things to make sure that we’re executing our pitches when we need to, getting into counts that we need to and limiting walks as best as possible. We’re finding a lot of barrels right now and we have to find ways to adapt around that.”

The Red Sox are dealing with additional challenges, as it was announced on Wednesday that Nick Pivetta will skip his next start due to arm fatigue. This puts even more pressure on the rest of the rotation, starting with All-Star right-hander Tanner Houck, who is scheduled to start Friday’s opener. Houck, who has an 8-8 record with a 3.09 ERA, has struggled since the All-Star break, failing to secure a win in his last four starts.

Astros Searching for Offensive Consistency

While the Red Sox grapple with pitching woes, the Astros are dealing with their own issues—namely, a lack of consistent offensive production. Although Houston secured a 6-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, their offense has been sluggish, scoring just 11 total runs in the previous five games combined.

Astros manager Joe Espada remains confident in his team’s potential, emphasizing the need for persistence and strategic adjustments at the plate. “This is a good offense. It’s going to flip at some point. You just have to keep grinding, keep talking to the players about quality at-bats. What they’re trying to do to us. What teams see us do. Some tendencies that we’re doing—teams are watching that—so we have to just adjust,” Espada said.

One bright spot for the Astros has been Yordan Alvarez, who boasts a .351 batting average in road games—the highest in the American League. Alvarez will be a key figure as Houston looks to jumpstart their offense against Boston.

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Another player to watch is Zach Dezenzo, Houston’s No. 4 prospect, who had an impressive second game in the majors on Wednesday. After going hitless in his debut, Dezenzo bounced back by going 2-for-3 with a walk and scoring twice. Espada was pleased with the young player’s performance, noting his confidence and solid play both at the plate and in the field.

“It was Day 2, he put Day 1 behind him,” Espada said. “He looked like he belonged out there. He really looked very confident. He played really good defense. His at-bats were solid. He hit some balls hard. He took some good hacks. He was aggressive, he was confident. I like it a lot.”

Pitching Matchup: Houck vs. Blanco

In Friday’s opener, the Red Sox will depend on Tanner Houck to convey areas of strength for a. Houck, who has battled to track down his mood since the All-Star break, is 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA in three career appearances against the Astros. Boston will require Houck to give stability on the hill as they hope to keep their strong offense in games.

Restricting Houck will be Houston right-hander Ronel Blanco, who has a 9-6 record with a 2.98 ERA. Blanco has battled as of late, losing three of his last four starts, however he will make his most memorable career start against Boston. The Astros are confident that Blanco can track down his structure and allow their offense an opportunity to help him.

Key Series for The two Teams

This series is crucial for the two teams as they navigate their particular challenges. For the Red Sox, finding reliable pitching is essential in the event that they desire to maintain their hostile result and stay serious in the playoff race. For the Astros, recharging their offense will be key as they hope to expand on their new win and stay in the chase after a postseason spot.

With Boston’s home record sitting below .500 at 27-28 and Houston’s road record similarly underwhelming at 27-29, both teams will be eager to make a statement in this series. The outcome of this matchup could have significant implications for their playoff hopes as the season heads into its final stretch.