Red Sox play the Astros on home winning streak
Boston; Saturday, 4:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Colton Gordon (4-3, 4.74 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 54 strikeouts); Red Sox: Walker Buehler (6-6, 5.72 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 71 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Sox -114, Astros -105; over/under is 9 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Red Sox will try to keep a three-game home win streak going when they take on the Houston Astros.
Boston has gone 35-21 in home games and 60-51 overall. The Red Sox have a 29-13 record in games when they did not give up a home run.
Houston has a 62-48 record overall and a 27-24 record on the road. The Astros have gone 29-6 in games when they did not allow a home run.
The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jarren Duran has 30 doubles, 12 triples, 11 home runs and 60 RBIs for the Red Sox. Alex Bregman is 13 for 36 with two doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games.
Jose Altuve has 18 home runs, 39 walks and 57 RBIs while hitting .281 for the Astros. Yainer Diaz is 13 for 34 with four doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 6-4, .237 batting average, 3.16 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runs
Astros: 4-6, .237 batting average, 4.10 ERA, outscored by 13 runs
INJURIES: Red Sox: Tanner Houck: 60-Day IL (flexor), Hunter Dobbins: 60-Day IL (acl), Marcelo Mayer: 10-Day IL (wrist), Nick Burdi: 60-Day IL (knee), Liam Hendriks: 60-Day IL (hip), Zack Kelly: 15-Day IL (oblique), Justin Slaten: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Luis Guerrero: 15-Day IL (elbow), Josh Winckowski: 60-Day IL (elbow), Triston Casas: 60-Day IL (knee), Kutter Crawford: 60-Day IL (knee), Patrick Sandoval: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Astros: Jeremy Pena: day-to-day (hamstring), Brendan Rodgers: 60-Day IL (oblique), Pedro Leon: 60-Day IL (knee), Brandon Walter: 15-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers: 15-Day IL (finger), Isaac Paredes: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Meyers: 10-Day IL (calf), Zach Dezenzo: 60-Day IL (hand), Yordan Alvarez: 60-Day IL (hand), Shawn Dubin: 15-Day IL (forearm), Spencer Arrighetti: 60-Day IL (thumb), Ronel Blanco: 60-Day IL (elbow), Hayden Wesneski: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (elbow), J.P. France: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Nathan Lukes lashed Tanner Gordon's first offering to centre for a double and the hit parade was on — 25 in all, as the Jays pounded the Rockies 15-1 to maintain their three-game lead on the Boston Red Sox atop the AL East. Monday night's game was played at Coors Field in Denver, where no lead, even the most lopsided, is ever safe, as evidenced last Friday when the Rockies trailed the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 before storming back for a 17-16 walk-off win. The Blue Jays, however, are not the Pirates. Some statistical tidbits to chew on: ♦ With one out in the third inning, the Jays, collectively, had already hit for the cycle. ♦ Through three innings, they had compiled 12 hits and nine runs, while striking out but once. ♦ By the fourth, every Toronto starter had recorded a hit. By the eighth, every Jays starter — except for Vlad Guerrero Jr., who went 1-for-5 — had a multi-hit game. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. ♦ By game's end 11 different Jays batters had recorded a hit. ♦ Ernie Clement went 5-for-6 for his first career five-hit game while Lukes, Joey Loperfido and Bo Bichette had three hits apiece. The 25-hit barrage did fall short of the team record of 29, set in July of 2022 in a 28-5 pasting of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. 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It's why the hapless Rockies own the third best home batting average in the majors — behind only the Phillies and Blue Jays — and, far and away, the worst team ERA of 5.84. No team has given up more first-inning runs than the Rockies, a dubious mark that increased to 104 for the season on Monday night when, three pitches in and they were already trailing 1-0. Considering the chasm separating the 30-82 Rockies from the second-worst team is so severe — vis a vis runs surrendered in the first inning — that it begins to explain why Colorado's record is what it is. KIRK MAKES AMENDS This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In his first game back from the seven-day concussion IL on Sunday back home against the Royals, Alejandro Kirk wasn't his normally self, be it at the plate or behind it. Kirk's throwing error in the fateful 10th inning helped the Royals abuse the Jays pen in a 7-4 win. It was also Kirk who grounded into the game's final out by stranding two runners on base. In the first inning on Monday, Kirk had clearly left that bad inning behind. He singled in his first at-bat, then, in the home half of the first, picked off Hunter Goodman at first base after he'd reached base on a single. Kirk's two-out seventh-inning single was the 20th hit by the Jays on the night. UP NEXT In Tuesday's second game of the series (8:40 p.m.), RHP Jose Berrios will attempt to keep the ball in the field of play having giving up 19 long-balls this season, including at least one in each of his past four starts … Colorado is expected to counter with an opener in right-hander Anthony Molina, who will be thrust into the role as Kyle Freeland gets pushed back to Wednesday as he continues to recover from an illness. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Opinion Relationships Columnists
