The Boston Red Sox are the moneyline favorites at -128 for Game 5 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros.
The Houston Astros have not been getting good pitching in this series, which puts a ton of pressure on the offense to produce. Houston has scored 14 total runs in their two wins in this series but managed just eight runs in the two losses.
Jose Altuve belted a clutch home run in Game 4, and he continues to be one of the biggest bats in this lineup. Kyle Tucker has also been a big performer for the Astros in the postseason, belting three home runs and driving in 12 runs.
Framber Valdez will make the start on Wednesday, and the Astros are hoping for a solid outing. Valdez has struggled so far in the postseason, and that has been a theme for the Houston starting rotation.
The Boston Red Sox will call on veteran Chris Sale on Wednesday, and they are hoping that he can deliver a vintage performance. Sale has given up six earned runs in just 3.2 postseason innings, and a similar performance could sink the Astros.
Boston got into the postseason on the strength of its offense, and they have continued to perform in the playoffs. That lineup was cooled off a bit in Game 4, but look for them to respond in a big way.
Enrique Hernandez has been on an absolute tear in these playoffs, belting five home runs and sporting a .463 batting average. The Red Sox might be forced to score a ton of runs in this game if they want to take a series lead.
It looked as if Boston was going to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this series, but the Astros are simply too hard to eliminate. The 9th inning on Tuesday night should give Houston plenty of momentum heading into Game 5 on Wednesday.
The Astros still need a find a way to get better starting pitching, but the offense will be coming into this game with some confidence. This should be another great matchup, and one run is going to be the difference in Game 5.
Boston will get a huge boost from the home crowd, but it won’t be enough as Houston comes away with a win. Bet the Houston Astros moneyline as they are able to pick up their second straight win in Boston to take a 3-2 series lead Dunkell Index