Here’s how Alex Cora should handle his rotation going forward

The Red Sox got a much needed split in the first two games of the ALCS, and now Alex Cora has some decisions to make about his starting pitchers going forward.

Well, we’ve got a series in the ALCS. Thank goodness.

In the seven-game series between the two best teams in baseball — with a trip to the World Series on the line — the Boston Red Sox came away with a MUCH needed 7-4 win in Game 2 against the Houston Astros. Despite another less-than-stellar start by David Price, the Boston bats came through when they needed to in order to pick up the victory.

With the series now tied at a game apiece and all set to shift to Minute Maid Park in Houston for the next three games, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has some decisions to make regarding his pitching rotation. Considering how good this Astros team is, Red Sox fans would most definitely be satisfied with just a single win in Houston so that the Sox can then come back home to Boston and take their chances in the elimination games at Fenway Park. So Cora has to figure out the way to use his rotation that gives them the best chance to do that, and hope that they can maybe come away with more than one win on the road.

If I was Alex Cora, here’s how I would use my starting pitchers going forward.

(By the way, I must add that I’m not Alex Cora, and he will probably handle his rotation in a completely different way. This is just one fan’s meaningless opinion.)

I would start Rick Porcello in Game 3, even though he made a brief relief appearance in Game 2. He only faced three batters and got three quick outs. He’s the second best starter on this team, and he would give them a solid chance to get a win in Game 3, even with Dallas Keuchel taking the mound for Houston.

In Game 4, I would give the ball to Nathan Eovaldi. It’s hard to predict what the Sox would get from him, as he’s been kind of an up-and-down starter during his short time in Boston. But he gave the Red Sox an outstanding effort in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Yankees, pitching seven innings of one-run ball. That doesn’t mean he would repeat that performance against the Astros, but he might keep the Red Sox in the ballgame, especially if they fail to win Game 3.

For Game 5, it’s really up in the air. I would pretty much start anyone in this game not named Chris Sale (even though that’s who probably will get the Game 5 start). If Cora wants to run Price back out there on short rest, then so be it (that won’t actually happen, but if I gave Price another start in this series, it would be in Game 5). Cora could even give relief pitcher Joe Kelly, or as I now call him, “October Joe,” the Game 5 start. A former starting pitcher, Kelly has been a pretty reliable arm out of the bullpen during this postseason and could probably eat up a handful of innings for the Sox if given the opportunity.

If the series makes it back to Fenway Park, then I’m putting Sale on the mound for Game 6, and Porcello for Game 7. No debate, no decisions to be made. That would be the only sensible way to do it.

However, Alex Cora and I think very differently when it comes to managing a pitching rotation, so you can bet money that the rest of the series will not play out this way.

But hey, I tried.