The Red Sox look to shake off a two-game funk behind the surprising Nick Pivetta when they face Framber Valdez and the Astros tonight in Houston (8:10 p.m., NESN, ESPN).
The rubber has met the road for this Sox team, and the tough part of the season has arrived at full speed. Two games does not a season make (just ask the Clippers), and a loss tonight would not be devastating. It is still May. It just won’t be great is all. And we strongly prefer great to “not devastating” in these parts.
Pivetta hasn’t been great this year but he’s been very good, as has Valdez, whose first name grade is a solid 80-grade moniker.