Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros Game 6 Betting Preview
Game 6 of the ALCS will see the Houston Astros (3-2) trying to close out the series and earn a berth to the World Series as they host the Boston Red Sox (2-3). This game will take place at Minute Maid Park in Houston, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:08 pm ET.
After falling behind two games to one, the Astros were able to win back-to-back games at Fenway Park, including a 9-1 victory on Wednesday. In the win, Framber Valdez went eight innings and allowed just one run, while Yordan Alvarez went three for five with a home run and three runs batted in.
In the loss, Chris Sale gave up four runs (two earned) over 5.1 innings while striking out seven. Rafael Devers accounted for the only run for Boston as he homered in the seventh inning.
Both teams have the same odds of winning this as the moneylines sit at -108. The runline does favor Houston at +1.5 (-192), while the over/under for total runs is 8.5.
Pitching Matchup
This will be a rematch of Game 2, one that Boston won on the road, as Nathan Eovaldi will take on Luis Garcia.
For Boston’s Eovaldi, during the regular season, he went 11-9 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and had 195 strikeouts in 182.1 innings. During the postseason, he is 2-1 with a 5.51 ERA.
Luis Garcia of the Astros has had a much rougher postseason this year. In two games, he is 0-1 with a 24.55 ERA over just 3.2 innings. His WHIP in that span is an outrageous 3.55.
During the regular season, though, Garcia was much better. He went 11-8 with a 3.48 ERA. Like Framber Valdez, the Astros are hoping Garcia can have a bounce-back performance in Game 6.
By The Numbers
This season, the Astros have had the best offense in baseball. They rank atop the list in terms of scoring, averaging 5.41 runs per game. The Red Sox rank fourth, averaging 5.17 runs.
In terms of defense, the Astros again hold a slight edge. They rank eighth in the majors in scoring defense, allowing opponents 4.12 runs per game. The Red Sox rank 18th allowing 4.66 runs.
Red Sox Fighting To Play Another Day
In Game 4, Boston manager Alex Cora made a risky decision by bringing Nathan Eovaldi in for the ninth inning as the Red Sox were trying to take a big series lead. It backfired, and Eovaldi threw 24 pitches and gave up four runs.
Now, back on the mound just three days later, the Red Sox are hoping he can lead the team to victory and force a decisive Game 7.
Offensively, it was J.D. Martinez that delivered the big blow against Garcia in Game 2, hitting a mammoth grand slam in the first inning.
The two hottest hitters this postseason for the Red Sox, though, have been both Rafael Devers (.325 avg, 5 HR, 12 RBI) and Kike Hernandez (.422 avg, 5 HR, 9 RBI).
Houston Hope For Odd Year Magic
In 2017 the Astros won the World Series. In 2019, they made the World Series but lost to the Nationals. Following this odd-year trend, the Astros are hoping to finish off the ALCS Friday and return to the World Series to represent the American League against the winner of the Braves and Dodgers.
Leading the way for Houston on offense this series is Jose Altuve. While he is hitting just .150 in the ALCS, he has had two huge home runs, including one in Game 4 that has seemingly shifted the momentum to the Astros.
Yordan Alvarez has also been hitting it well. After a big night Wednesday night, he is now hitting .421/.455/.632 with a home run and five runs batted in during the ALCS.
Equally as impressive has been first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who is hitting .474/.524/.684 with a home run and six runs batted in this series.
Taking Houston And The Runs
When things got bleak after Game 3, the Astros bats saved the series. After having scored just 13 runs through the first three games, the best offense in baseball erupted for 18 runs in the last two games.
The question is whether they can keep it going after the off-day on Thursday. With Luis Garcia on the mound Friday, the offense may be needed again. He has certainly not been sharp in the playoffs, so don’t be surprised if Dusty Baker has a quick hook Friday night.
Regardless, this is a game where both offenses have the potential to do some damage, meaning the over is looking awfully enticing.
With two of the best offenses potentially slugging it out, taking the runs on the runline might be the best bet.
For that reason, take Houston +1.5 (-192).
