MLB – American League Championship Series: The plot goes up

Eovaldi, who grew up watching Astros games and even participated in the high school tournament at Minute Maid Park, met Ryan while playing for the New York Yankees. He may be launching the biggest game of his career in front of the legend. sits behind the marble at the Astros games.

Eovaldi, however, is more concerned about how to beat the Astros in Tuesday's third game of the American League series, than to look for Ryan in the crowd.

"I feel that if I am going to do my job, attack the area, get that first – strike, do not give up the free bases, no walking, things like that, I feel that it will keep the crowd at the same time. away a bit, "said the Boston Red Sox right-hander on Monday. "But I know they're going to be noisy here, and I feel like with the roof off, it gets even stronger, so I'm really looking forward to seeing it, I'm going under the circumstances, but I'm Just try to dictate the accounts and stay in control. "

That's what the 28-year-old made in the third game of the series against the Yankees when he limited his former team to one point in seven innings. His fastball has reached the triple digit 11 times in this outing, including the last throw of his outing. When he controls this fastball and provides swing-and-miss curves and sliders, Eovaldi is certainly able to play in a lightened game. That's why the Red Sox have a good chance to take a 2-1 lead in Tuesday's playoffs.

Eovaldi follows left-handers Chris Sale and David Price for the Red Sox. It should be noted that the Astros beat the right-handed ones much worse than left-handed, with a 70-point drop from OPS. In this spirit – and the very powerful right-handed series in the Boston office – A.J. Hinch will have two more left-handers in the Houston formation for the third game. Brian McCann will assume the catch-up duties, and Tony Kemp will start in the left field or DH (depending on whether Jose Altuve plays the second goal or the DHs because of an ALDS ankle injury).

It could also be Dallas Keuchel's last start in an Astros uniform. He is a free agent after the season and the Astros have Josh James and Forrest Whitley ready to start the major league rotation in 2019, potentially losing the left handed veteran while they spend money elsewhere.

The winner of Cy Young in 2015 had a bit of thought at his Monday press conference without directly addressing the potential emotion of the game.

"When you get older, it's more time to cherish stuff, and when you're younger … I think time flies faster when you're younger just because you do not really know the routine as well as you when you grow up and you will somehow be installed, "he says." That's why I say to the youngest: "Hey, you have to like that as much as you can" & # 39; ; because I have experienced two seasons of 100 losses and we are preparing our business very early compared to the other teams in the playoffs. "

All of this creates a fascinating backdrop for Game 3 – and for what should be three fascinating games at Minute Maid. With the series tied, here are some keys to watch out for:

Battle of the bulls. It will be interesting to see how quickly the two directors go to their markets. Eovaldi's efforts against the Yankees were dominant, but in his eleven regular season starts with the Red Sox, he managed just six innings on two other occasions (both were against the Yankees). Meanwhile, Hinch was more likely to extend Verlander and Gerrit Cole some extra outs than Keuchel or Charlie Morton, star of match 4. Hinch brought Verlander back for the sixth inning after a tough fifth round, and Cole managed to throw six innings after conceding five points in the first three.

"These are tough guys to come out of the match because they're really good at the end of their outings," Hinch said Sunday. "This is not the case for all starting pitchers.If you have the right match and the player who can come back after a difficult round, some players can handle it mentally, some not … I Know my players, I look at them, I see their facial reactions, I know how they work in the canoe. "

Alex Cora, the manager of the Red Sox, is a little more in a difficult situation because his pen is shallower and the health of Chris Sale is relegated to the background after a stay of one night in the summer. hospital for a disease of the stomach. Cora will know more on Tuesday when Sale will join the team, but there is further concern about Command's problems and Sale's falling speed in the first game, a potential sign that his shoulder pain is still a problem.

In addition, the teams will play three straight days for the first time in the playoffs. "So maybe an interesting dilemma for me or Alex about how we handle the pen in the first game, who is in front and who is behind, knowing that three consecutive days can be hard enough for guys" said Hinch. "But you manage to win the match."

Hinch even dropped a line that he would not be surprised to see Rick Porcello relieved – which is possible, as Cora still has Eduardo Rodriguez in his back pocket as a potential starter.

Will the Red Sox support Alex Bregman? Bregman played six games in two games and was also hit by a throw. Including all three games of the ALDS, he has reached 17 times in 24 caps and just missed a tie that drew in the ninth round of match 2. The Red Sox are obviously very cautious with him :

The defense counts. If you like baseball tactics, you may think that the decay of caries of sacrifice and the hit and run have eliminated some of the science of gambling. Not at all. As much as the TV show lets you see, appreciate the ongoing defensive lineup that both clubs use, depending on the batter and the situation – especially the Astros, who have turned the defensive positioning into a form of art.

Against Christian Vazquez, for example, Houston's left-field player moved to the center of the field. The center field player was in the shadow of the right field and right field player Josh Reddick appeared to be playing 10 feet behind Altuve.

"You look behind you and there are about 100 feet behind me at Fenway Park," said Reddick. "So it's really nerve-wracking, but our guys take a lot of time to dispel guys' movements and see how they tend to hit balloons in some parts of the field. … Our guys in the analytics room work day and night, even on flights, back and forth, to make sure they're all right. "

Reddick said he was counting on coach Gary Pettis for positioning, but that the club also offers some flexibility to the players for them to think for themselves. "When he tells me to move, I'll go," Reddick said. "And if I see something, he's willing to let me move, when I see something on the swing."