MLB

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With August drawing to a close, the Boston Red Sox are seeing their playoff hopes fade.

The Red Sox, who are now 6 1/2 games out of the final American League wild-card spot, will attempt to salvage the finale of a three-game series against the visiting Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon.

In Houston’s 6-2 win on Tuesday, the Astros took advantage of a Boston error in the fifth inning after back-to-back home runs by Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez in the first set the tone.

Brayan Bello was the fourth straight Red Sox starter who failed to complete five innings.

“We are where we are because we’ve struggled in certain areas of the game,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “It’s catching up (with us) now.”

Right-hander Kutter Crawford (6-6, 3.65 ERA) will look to give the Red Sox a much-needed strong start today.

Crawford struck out seven and allowed just two runs on four hits across five innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

In his lone career start vs. Houston, Crawford allowed just one run on seven hits across six innings in a victory on Aug. 2, 2022.

The Red Sox, in the midst of a difficult week that also included call-up Kyle Barraclough being tagged for 10 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings on Monday, promoted top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela from Triple-A Worcester to make his major league debut.

Rafaela is the No. 3 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline.

“Obviously this is a different level, but we expect him to come in, and whenever he plays, just go out there and have fun playing center. He can play short. He can run,” Cora said. “He’s been hitting for power. Discipline has been a lot better the last few weeks, which is very important at this level.”

Rafaela recorded his first hit in Boston’s 13-5, series-opening loss on Monday but has yet to make a major league start.

Boston is also getting impressive production from center fielder Adam Duvall, who has hit seven home runs during his current nine-game hitting streak. He homered for the fourth game in a row on Tuesday.

The Astros have won four straight games, amassing 66 hits in that span to tie a franchise record. They climbed into a three-way tie for first place on Tuesday with the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.

Though he went 0-for-4 in the Tuesday win, Michael Brantley provided a boost to the Houston lineup in his return from right shoulder surgery.

Brantley last played in the majors on June 26, 2022. He went 14-for-47 (.298) with a homer and 12 RBIs in 16 rehab games for Triple-A Sugar Land.

“It’s great to have him back, he’s worked hard to get back to this point,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “He’s been as patient as any man can be. He’s the consummate team man, team player, team leader.”

Left-hander Framber Valdez (9-9, 3.40 ERA) will take the mound for Houston in the series finale.

Valdez no-hit the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 1 before allowing 16 runs (15 earned) on 24 hits over his next three starts, but he bounced back for seven no-hit innings on Friday in a no-decision at Detroit.

Valdez worked around five walks and a hit batter vs. the Tigers.

“That was part of my plan, just mix a lot of my pitches,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “Mix them up, mix them around, try not to get predictable.”

In four career appearances (two starts) against the Red Sox, Valdez is 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA.

–Field Level Media

BOSTON – Two of baseball’s best young pitchers face off when the Boston Red Sox host the Houston Astros in the middle game of a three-game series on Tuesday night.

The Red Sox will turn to 24-year-old right-hander Brayan Bello (10-7, 3.56 ERA) after he recorded his team-leading 10th win on Thursday in Houston, pitching seven innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts.

Bello’s mound opponent that day, in a contest the Red Sox won 17-1 to gain a four-game series split with the Astros, was J.P. France (9-5, 3.51 ERA). The same two pitchers will clash on Tuesday.

Bello is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA against the Astros in his career over one relief appearance and the one start last week.

The Thursday blowout was crucial for Boston, which is attempting to chase down on American League wild-card spot.

“It was very important for us to split (last week’s) series,” Bello said through an interpreter. “When we lost the first two games, I talked to Chris Sale. I told him, ‘It’s up to us to try to split the series and try to win these two games.’ And we did it.”

Three losses in four games have since followed, including a 13-5, season-opening setback to the Astros on Monday in Boston.

Another strong start from Bello will be vital. He is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA over five games in August.

The Red Sox are 15-7 this season in Bello’s starts.

“He’s good against everybody,” Boston manager Alex Cora said earlier this month. “I think we get caught up sometimes on (him giving up) three runs in six innings. The lefties are hitting him and all that, but it’s part of the progression. He’s still learning and he’s good.”

Another Boston player who has been very good of late is Adam Duvall. The reigning American League Player of the Week has homered six times over his past eight games, including a long ball on Monday.

The Astros’ offense is hot, too, having matched the single-game franchise record with 25 hits in a 17-4 win at Detroit on Sunday and then scoring 10 of its 13 runs in the sixth through eighth innings the following night.

Houston has also set a franchise record for most hits in consecutive games (43) and in a three-game span (57).

Monday’s highlight was Jose Altuve becoming the first Astro since 2013 to hit for the cycle. Altuve and Yordan Alvarez each had four hits, including Alvarez’s first home run since Aug. 6.

On the mound, France will look to rebound from the shortest and worst outing of his rookie season. The 28-year-old allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings on Thursday in his first career meeting with the Red Sox.

“It seemed like everything I threw they were hitting, whether it was cutters away, heaters in, heaters away,” France said. “Just one of those days.”

–Field Level Media

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros will switch locations for their second meeting in as many weeks, beginning a three-game series Monday night at Fenway Park. After splitting last week’s series with Boston, the Astros swung their way to back-to-back wins to end the weekend in Detroit, including recording 25 hits in Sunday’s 17-4 win.

Reigning World Series MVP Jeremy Pena went 5-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs to lead the way. He has reached base at a .426 clip in August.

“When you perform well, it breeds confidence,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “There was a time (when Pena) was struggling, but that’s behind him and it’s time to look forward.”

Pena is a former Rhode Island resident and University of Maine product, meaning the 25-year-old star shortstop has extra confidence entering the series at Fenway.

“I always say it’s home,” Pena said. “I grew up going to Pawtucket games, Triple-A for the Red Sox, seeing all those guys before they were in the big leagues. I’m going to have a lot of friends, a lot of family. So I always look forward to that series.”

Houston’s Cristian Javier (9-2, 4.52 ERA) will make his second straight start against the Red Sox after taking the ball last Monday and working five, three-run innings. The right-hander tied his season high of 105 pitches in that outing.

Javier will face Boston for the fifth time in his career (third start). He is 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in the previous meetings.

Despite homering in 16 consecutive games, the Red Sox have lost four of their last seven after losing two of three to the Dodgers this past weekend after the series in Houston. Thursday’s final game of the Astros series was a 17-1 Boston win.

Boston left-hander Chris Sale (5-3, 4.68) will make his fourth start since returning from the 60-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation.

The Red Sox are 10-4 in Sale’s starts this season and 5-1 in his last six after he retired the last nine batters he faced in a no-decision in Houston last Wednesday. He allowed four runs on six hits but struck out nine over five innings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora is expecting more out of his rotation over the final month of the season, with Tanner Houck and Sale having recently returned from injuries.

“That’s part of 162. Guys are going to go six or seven, and then they are going to grind through it. We’ve just got to find a way. We got to get better,” Cora said. “We’ve been facing some good hitters, tough lineups just like ours that they’re gonna keep grinding with you.”

Sale allowed all four earned runs in the first three frames before settling in for the remainder of his most recent outing.

“Obviously didn’t get off on the right foot but just grinded,” Sale said of that effort. “Sometimes you’ve got to do that. It’s not always going to be pretty.”

Sale is 5-3 with a 2.56 ERA in 10 career starts against the Astros, whom he had not faced since 2019 before last week.

–Field Level Media

HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu clubbed his first big-league home run and was one of eight Red Sox batters to record multiple hits as the visiting Sox cruised to a 17-1 drubbing of the Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon.

Abreu went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs and a walk. Connor Wong and Alex Verdugo – the duao acquired in the Sox trade for Mookie Betts years ago – also had four hits and five other players had two apiece for the Red Sox, who earned a split of the four-game series.

All nine batters in Boston’s starting lineup recorded at least one RBI and at least one of the club’s season-high 24 hits. The offensive showcase provided more than enough run support for Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (10-7), who gave up one run on nine hits in seven innings.

Alex Bregman drove in Houston’s lone run with a single. Mauricio Dubon doubled twice for the Astros, who went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. The 16-run deficit is tied for the largest in Astros history.

HOUSTON – (Staff and wire Service Report) – After fouling a pitch directly off his left foot in the top of the 10th inning on Wednesday, Boston Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall needed more than a couple of minutes to recover from the searing pain.

 

His decision to stay in the fight paid immediate dividends for Boston. Duvall clubbed a tiebreaking, three-run home run on the next pitch of his at-bat to carry the Red Sox to a 7-5 victory over the host Houston Astros, a win that keeps Boston squarely in the American League wild-card picture.

Duvall has homered in each of the first three games of this four-game series, which concludes Thursday afternoon. His 14th long ball of the season was the biggest by far.

“He’s made some adjustments,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Duvall. “He’s catching up with the fastball and he’s pulling the ball. He mentioned a few weeks ago that he was missing that, and so far here he’s put three great swings. That was huge for us.”

Brayan Bello (9-7, 3.70 ERA) will start for the Red Sox on Thursday as Boston attempts to gain a series split.

The right-hander allowed one run on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts over six innings on Friday against the New York Yankees in an 8-3 victory. That lowered his ERA to 5.03 in seven starts since the All-Star break, a contrast to his last 12 starts before the break, when he compiled a 2.35 ERA. Bello leads the Red Sox in starts (21) and innings (119 1/3) this season.

Bello has faced the Astros once previously, recording two strikeouts while allowing two hits in two-thirds of an innings of relief in a no-decision on Aug. 3, 2022.

Rookie right-hander J.P. France (9-4, 2.75 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Thursday.

He recorded his 12th quality start on Friday against the Seattle Mariners, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six innings in a 2-0 loss. France is among rookie leaders in quality starts, wins, opponents’ OPS (.675), innings (108) and WHIP (1.21). His ERA is the lowest in franchise history through the first 18 career appearances (minimum six starts).

France will face the Red Sox for the first time in his career.

The Astros are in desperate need of length from France, who has logged seven innings in four of his previous six starts. The last Astros starter to record at least 21 outs was Framber Valdez on Aug. 14 against the Miami Marlins, a game in which the Astros used only one relief pitcher.

In the eight games since, the Astros have used at least four relievers six times.

France and Justin Verlander, who tossed six scoreless innings on Tuesday, are the only starters to log at least six innings during that stretch, with Houston having to overwork its bullpen to cover for shortened outings from Cristian Javier (4 2/3 innings on Aug. 15 at Miami), Hunter Brown (2 2/3 innings on Sunday against Seattle) and Jose Urquidy, who recorded only 14 outs Wednesday.

“We need it,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said of an extended outing from France to spare the bullpen. “We were upside down (Wednesday). We got upside down early in the 13-game streak (of games played on consecutive days) and we had a couple short outings, which put pressure on the bullpen. We’re at the drawing board now trying to figure out what we’re going to do.”