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HOUSTON – On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros resume the American League series with the third game at Minute Maid Park. Both clubs split games 1 and 2 at Fenway Park this weekend. The ALCS is now effectively a top five series among which the Astros hold the field advantage. Here's how to watch match 3.
At one point, southpaw Chris Sale will join the Red Sox after a draw night at Massachusetts General Hospital with a stomach illness. The team said the disease was not a factor in the disappointing performance of Sale's first game. Sale was released from hospital on Monday and will travel to Houston on Tuesday.
"When he gets to the coaching hall, we'll see how he feels," Red Sox coach Alex Cora said before match 3. "If you see him throwing during the match, do not do it. not." panic. He throws a pen if he has to do it today. As I said yesterday, it's more about the person than the Red Sox. And as he feels, we start from there. If he can not launch one today, he will not throw it away. We must first take care of him. "
Cora said Sale may not be ready to start the fifth game on Thursday. His availability will depend on the course of Tuesday's session (if Sale launches it) and what he feels the next few days. If he does not feel strong enough, the Red Sox could push him back to a possible match for the sixth game Saturday, or limit him to a brief appearance of relief at some point.
If Sale can not participate in the fifth game – I think it's probably going to start the fifth match, but the Red Sox have to be prepared for the possibility that it is not – the Red Sox have three options of obvious pitching for this match. Here are these three options in no particular order.
1. Price on short rest
David Price threw 4 2/3 innings and 80 shots in the second game of ALCS on Saturday and would be ready to start the fifth game after three days of rest. Once in his career, Price started a game with three days off. This dates back to 2008, during his first year. In addition, he started this game in short rest after an embossed appearance, and not after a real start. The details:
|
September 18, 2008 against the twins |
2/3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
September 22, 2008 at Orioles |
5 1/3 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
For all intents and purposes, Price never started a game in short rest in his career. It would be a new experience for him. That does not mean that he should not do it or could not succeed when he did it, it simply means that he had never done it before. Everything is on the playoff deck, remember. If Sale can not go, Price can be invited to take over and start Match 5 in short rest.
"I'll be ready for Tuesday," Price said after Saturday's match 2, citing his potential availability as a match 3 rookie. If nothing else, Price is ready to do whatever the club asks.
2. Rodriguez as a starter
Southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez has moved from the regular season rotation to the playoff opener this month and has so far made two relief appearances and launched two runs and two-thirds in October. It has not yet launched in the ALCS and it has not launched at all since last Monday. His two appearances in the playoffs:
|
October 6 (match ALDS 2 vs Yankees) |
1 2/3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
October 8 (match ALDS 3 vs Yankees) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
The Red Sox asked Rodriguez to play four relief matches at the end of the regular season to prepare him for his playoff role. He has not taken his real departure for almost four weeks. He has not made 100 shots since September 20 nor has completed five innings since September 13th.
Asking Rodriguez to return to the rotation and give a good start – even five good innings would seem to be a good result at this point – seems to be a big demand, but it's possible, and it might be the best option for Boston so Dirty not to be able to start the match 5. Rodriguez certainly has some basic material, and the Astros have not seen it in ALCS yet, so they would be blind to some extent . This is usually a launcher benefit.
3. Bullpen Game
The new fashion that sweeps over baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers managed to clear their way to a 2-1 lead in the NLCS and the Oakland Athletics tried to fight their way through the AL Wild card game. Moreso more than ever, teams rely on their pen to go out in October. The rescue teams launched 181 1/3 on 377 2/3 of the heats in the playoffs, or 48%.
A real pudding game in the fifth match could include Price, Rodriguez and even Sale. Rather than asking any of them to take a full start, the Red Sox could use these guys for one or two (or three?) Shatters before turning the game into real opponents, especially guys like Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier. Bullpen games can be extremely effective. Boston was never part of it at any time this year – well, they played in a few Bullpen games in late September with extended lineups, aimed more at getting the starters to rest than at winning the match – but that did not mean it would be off the table in Game 5.
Even with Sale apparently compromised before the stomach disease – his speed was down and his command was not good in the game ALCS 1 – It remains the best option for game 5. A healthy sale can be dominant in all formations, even the deepest and most powerful like the Astros. If he can not go, however, the Red Sox will have to adjust their pitching plans on the fly, which could lead them to use Price on short rest, to launch Rodriguez for the first time in a month or so. use a real pen. Thu.
"In the playoffs, you are trying to win today," said Cora, "and plan for tomorrow."
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