The Red Sox begin a series against the Astros for the first time since October, and it’s fair to say things are a bit different than they were in the ALCS, what with the Sox in last place and all. The good news? Garrett Whitlock gets the start, which gives Boston a fighting chance against Houston’s Jake Odorizzi (7:10 p.m., NESN, MLBN out-of-market).
On the face of it, this series portends disaster for Boston, who enter the game in fifth place with a 13-21 record, compared to Houston’s 23-12 mark, which puts them atop the AL West.