Series Preview: Houston Astros @ Boston Red Sox

Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images

After a less-than-ideal home stand, even with a finishing 2-game winning streak, Houston hits the road for a 9-game road trip. The first stop: a 3-game set in Boston.

Red Sox Standings:

• 59-51 (3rd in the AL East) 5.0 GB, 1.5 Games Up for 2^nd AL WC, 1.5 GB of 1^st AL WC
• Home Record: 34-21 (Astros: 27-23 Road Record)
• Record vs. AL West: 7-12 (Astros vs AL East: 6-4)
• Last 10: 6-4 [WLLWLWWLWW] (HOU: 5-5 [WWWLLLLLWW])
• 2025 Record vs. Houston: First meeting
• All-Time Record vs. Houston: 42-40
• Playoff Record: 7-8 (2017 ALDS (L) 1-3; 2018 ALCS (W) 4-1; 2021 ALCS (L) 2-4)

Red Sox Season to Date: At bit of a roller-coaster ride for Boston in 2025. The late addition of Bregman enhanced the team, but alienated relations with the sole remaining star from the 2018 World Series winning squad: Rafael Deveres. Eventually, Deveres moved to DH, but injuries throughout the infield, particularly

at 1B, forced the Sox to ask Deveres to move positions once again, this time to 1B. He refused, and with all of that drama, he gets traded to San Francisco for a return roughly akin to the Mookie Betts trade. Yet, a funny thing happened...Boston, who had been treading water around .500, went on a run, logging a 10-game winning streak before the Break. They went from also-ran to the 2nd Wild Card and well within striking distance of the 1st WC and the AL East. For a team with the most World Series this century (4), the post-season drought since 2021 is a bit uncomfortable, and with so much young talent graduating from the minors, the Red Sox faithful expect no less than a return to said playoff baseball.

Red Sox Leaders

Offense:

• HR: OF Wilyer Abreu (20)
• RBI: SS Trevor Story (65)
• BA: OF Jarren Duran (.265)
• OPS: OF Jarren Duran (.767)

Pitching:

• ERA: Garrett Crochet (2.23)
• Wins: Garrett Crochet (12)
• Saves: Aroldis Chapman (18)
• WHIP: Garrett Crochet (1.09)

Projected Pitching Matchups (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

• Friday, Aug 1 @ 6:10 p.m. CDT: Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. Cooper Criswell (1-0, 5.06 ERA) [Space City Home Network; KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM]
• Sat, Aug 2 @ 3:10 p.m. CDT: Colton Gordon (4-3, 4.74 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (6-6, 5.72 ERA) [Space City Home Network; KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM]
• Sun, Aug 3 @ 10:35 a.m. CDT: Framber Valdez (11-4, 2.62 ERA) vs. Lucas Giolito (7-2, 3.80 ERA) [National: Roku; Space City Home Network; KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, TUDN 93.3 FM]

Red Sox Field Position Starters (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

• C: Carlos Navarez
• 1B: Abraham Toro (Hey, so that’s where the [Expletive Deleted] Toro is?)
• 2B: Romy Gonzalez
• 3B: Alex Bregman (Something familiar about that name…)
• SS: Trevor Story
• LF: Jarred Duran (Not traded, as it turns out)
• CF: Ceddanne Rafaela
• RF: Wilyer Abreu (Another Astros connection)
• DH: Roman Anthony

Red Sox Offense: There is offense o’plenty at Fenway, even with Bregman being out for some time and Deveres struggling in San Francisco. The young bats and old hands are generally getting it done at the plate. The Red Sox rank in the top ten in various categories (T-4th in runs, 7^th in BA, 8^th in OBP, 5^th in Slugging). Only 10^th in homers, but ah well. Where to begin? Trevor Story authoring a bounce-back season? All of the young talent in the outfield, showing strength with the bat? Bregman finding the confines of Fenway quite batter-friendly? The not-so-brutal-loss of Deveres? The optimism for Boston centers on the rise of all of these bats. Once they get on base, the Red Sox rank 7^th in base-stealing, which certainly helps their offensive prowess.

Red Sox Pitching/Defense: The Red Sox pitching...it kind of depends on what you are looking at. That trade for Garrett Crochet is working pretty well for Boston, especially as the former White Sox trade chip leads the team in many key pitching categories. Long time reliever (and Altuve’s favorite post-season pitcher) Aroldis Chapman reverted back into a hard throwing closer/reliever. However, the specter of injuries and some ineffectiveness blunts the overall quality of the pitching staff, especially for the staring rotation. They currently rate 10^th in ERA (good), but are the in bottom half of the league in WHIP (19th) and BAA (19th) (not so good). They do have a strong bullpen (4^th in ERA), which can help, but they can’t afford to overload the bullpen before October. As a result, Boston made deals to bring in Steven Matz (Cardinals) and Dustin May (Dodgers) to reinforce the pitching. However, the pitching isn’t exactly getting a lot of help. Only the historically bad Colorado Rockies have more errors and a worse fielding percentage. That…is not good.

Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images

Most Dangerous Player: 3B Alex Bregman. Perhaps the sentimental choice? You could argue that. However, here is the thing…Bregman, having worked his way back from injury, has played pretty well. In his last 5 games, he is 8-of-21, with 2 x 2Bs, 2 x HRs and 6 x RBIs. Factor that, along with emotional aspect that he will want to show up his old squad, especially with Carlos Correa back in the Astros’ dugout and all of the Astros’ corporate knowledge he brings with him, and yeah…he will definitely look to show Houston what they are missing.

Injuries: No, the Red Sox do not have near as many injuries as the Astros. Yes, they do have injured players, as evidenced here:

• P Tanner Houck (flexor); 15-Day IL; Projected Return: September 2025
• P Justin Stalen (Shoulder); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: September 2025
• P Zack Kelly (oblique); 15-Day IL; Projected Return: August 2025
• P Luis Guerrero (elbow); 15-Day IL; Projected Return: August 2025
• P Lian Hendricks (hip); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: September 2025
• 3B Marcelo Mayer (wrist); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: TBD
• P Hunter Dobbs (ACL); 15-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026
• P Nick Burdi (foot); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: TBD
• P Kutter Crawford (wrist); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026
• 1B Triston Casas (knee); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026

Intangibles: The Deveres drama did not help this franchise, especially coming off of multiple disappointing seasons. It probably didn’t help that the vile Yankees made it back to the World Series in 2024 while Boston spent its 3^rd straight season, and 5 of the past 6, at home for the playoffs. However, you could look at the Deveres trade as addition by subtraction. They suffered some key injuries, but those players that are on the field are doing work since mid-June. If the Sox can avoid any late slumps, they should be back on the October schedule. Yet, even as Boston is in playoff position, they were in the center of as many rumors for being “sellers” at the trade deadline as buyers. Given the log-jam of talent in the outfield, Duran’s name came up quite a bit. They did add to the pitching. Sometimes it is hard to know Boston’s strategic vision, whether they value costs or winning. Doesn’t make it easy for fans and players.

Series Outlook: The good news for the Astros is that they are on the road (8-2 in their last 10 road games). The even better news is that they don’t play a last place team, against whom they’ve lost 5 of 7. Then again, they lost their last road series against a winning team (Seattle). At least the rough home stand didn’t alter the division standings that much, as Houston is again assured of maintaining the division lead regardless of the Boston outcome. Various players are rehabbing and should get back on to the main roster soon, which can only help. The trade deadline reinforcement of Correa, Urias, and Sanchez will also help. Boston, while fighting for their playoff lives, should welcome a scuffing team like Houston. No shortage of plotlines between Bregman, Cora, Toro, Chapman, et al. Still, if Houston’s bats remember how to hit and score runs (you can do that in a baseball game), and if Houston can remember to not let teams score a lot of runs when pitching (also doable in the baseball game)...really, if they can play like they did the past two games against Washington, it could be a fun series.

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