5 reasons the Houston Astros will topple the Red Sox…again
By Sam Fels
4. Again, it sounds silly after what the Sox just did to the Yankees’ homer-happy lineup. But it’s silly to have Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, too.
Normally, you’d toss out Chris Sale in an argument — with his 2.11 ERA, 1.98 FIP, and striking out 13.5 hitters every nine innings — and say, “checkmate.” And Sale is the best pitcher in this series.
It’s just that the Astros might have the next best three or four starters after that.
Verlander on his day can stare down Sale, and did so last year when these teams met. David Price’s postseason struggles are somewhat overstated, but he’s hardly been a divine force either. Gerrit Cole has Sale-like numbers. Dallas Keuchel goes about it a different way, but he sports a sub-4.00 ERA and FIP as well and just danced through Cleveland in the clinching Game 3.
The Sox could get sterling starts from Price, Eovaldi, and Porcello. Though it’s hard to see Price dominating — he struggled with New York’s right-handed-heavy lineup and this is just a better version of that. Then again, he did it in relief last year, though that was only one time through the lineup. The Sox might not ask much more.
Eovaldi will get six-plus days of rest again, where he’s been brilliant this season. In four regular season starts with that much time off, he has a 0.36 ERA with 22 Ks and three walks in 25 innings. But if he has to go a second time, those numbers go south.
Rick Porcello has been Door #3 all season, and simply isn’t the sure thing that Keuchel or Charlie Morton have proven to be the past two seasons.