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elaine95  
#1 Posted : Saturday, December 01, 2018 8:42:10 AM(UTC)
elaine95

Rank: Advanced Member

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Joined: 5/28/2018(UTC)
Posts: 1,052
American Samoa

Bob Levey/Getty ImagesThe Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 7-2 in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday. Houston right fielder Josh Reddick and first baseman Yuli Gurrielhit ninth-inning home runs that turned a tight 3-2 lead into a comfortable five-run advantage.The series stays in Boston for Game 2 on Sunday http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-todd-frazier-jersey , when Red Sox southpaw David Price and Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole face off. Remaining ALCS ScheduleGame 2: Houston at Boston, Sunday, 7:09 p.m. ET on TBSand Watch TBSGame 3: Boston at Houston, Tuesday, 5:09 p.m. ET on TBSand Watch TBSGame 4: Boston at Houston, Wednesday, 8:39 p.m. ET on TBSand Watch TBSGame 5: Boston at Houston, Thursday, 8:09 p.m. ET on TBS and Watch TBS*Game 6: Houston at Boston, Saturday, 5:09 p.m. ET on TBS and Watch TBS*Game 7: Houston at Boston David Wright Jersey , Sunday, 7:39 p.m. ET on TBS and Watch TBS**If necessary. World Series OddsHouston Astros: 37-20Boston Red Sox: 5-2Milwaukee Brewers: 69-20Los Angeles Dodgers: 87-20Odds according to OddsSharkand accurate as of 2 a.m. ET Sunday. What To Watch: Game 2All eyes will be on Price as he looks to shake off past postseason struggles.Price has a 5.28 ERA in 75.0 career playoff innings, and he's only registered one quality start in his past five attempts, dating back to 2015. In his lone 2018 playoff appearance, the left-hander allowed three earned runs in 1.2 innings in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankeesbefore being pulled.There is one small silver lining if you're a believer in a pitcher's history against a batter: Most Astros who appeared in the Game 1 lineuphaven't fared wellversusPrice. Shortstop Carlos Correa is 2-for-10, and outfielder George Springer is 5-of-24 with 14 strikeouts. A few changes could be made, but Correa and Springer should still be there.For what it's worth, Price has been largely sensational at Fenway Park in 2018, going 9-2 with a 2.98 ERA and95 punchouts in 96.2 regular-season innings. Opposing batters have managed just a .641 OPS against him in Boston.Still, Price may have to top that form to hang with Cole, who struck out 276 batters in 200.1 innings and went 15-5 with a 2.88 ERA. The ex-Pittsburgh Pirate has been a model of consistency since joining the team in the offseason http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-wheeler-jersey , as he hasn't pitched fewer than five innings or allowed more than four earned runs in any of his starts.Cole's floor seems high, which is a massive plus against a tough Red Sox lineup.The starting-pitching edge favors the Astros, and the same could be said for the bullpen.Houston has a fantastic relief weapon in the form of right-handed Lance McCullers Jr., a 25-year-old curveball artist with 80 career starts, a lifetime 3.67 ERA and 509 strikeouts in 453.2 innings.He battled injuries this year and was forced to miss close to two months.When McCullers got back, he was the odd man out of the playoff rotation, as Cole, Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton occupied the four postseason spots.McCullers has pitched the eighth inning three times this postseason and hasn't allowed a run. He and Ryan Pressly, who has a 0.77 ERA in 26 regular-season appearances with the Astros after a midseason deal with the Minnesota Twins, look like a invincible bridge between the starting rotation and closer Roberto Osuna.Both players should be available out of the pen if needed Mookie Wilson Jersey , as neither threw more than one inning (or more than 18 pitches) Saturday. If Cole can give the bullpen something to defend in the seventh inning, it will be tough for the Sox to overcome.Much like Saturday, look for another close game for much of the night. The guess here is that Price turns in a solid outing but can't match Cole, who tosses it to the Pressly-McCullers-Osuna trio to close out a win.Prediction: Astros 4, Red Sox 2 NEW YORK — Aaron Judge is off the disabled list after missing seven weeks with a fractured right wrist, but not quite ready to hit.Nonetheless, the New York Yankees are excited about the prospect of him getting closer to returning to the lineup, but until he does, Judge will be able to play in the field and run.With Judge back from the disabled list on a limited basis, the Yankees continue a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.Article continues below ...Judge was activated before Friday’s 11-0 win and played the final two innings in right field without getting a ball hit to him and earned a standing ovation when fans realized he was entering the game.“Pretty crazy,” he said of getting a loud ovation.It’s unclear when Judge might actually get any at-bats against live pitching http://www.metsfanproshop.com/authentic-lenny-dykstra-jersey , but manager Aaron Boone said it is possible Judge might get an at-bat during this homestand. Before making his first appearance since July 26 against Kansas City, he took batting practice on the field, something he started earlier this week in Minnesota.“We’ll continue to ramp up from a hitting standpoint this weekend,” Boone said. “We’ve got a plan in place we’ll activate as we get closer. He’s getting real close to being an option for us.”During the 45 games he missed, the Yankees were 25-20, including a 13-10 mark at home. While Judge was on the disabled list, the Yankees averaged 4.8 runs and recorded a .235 batting average (351-for-1496) with 71 homers. Giancarlo Stanton heated up early in Judge’s absence but overall batted .224 (38-for-170) with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in the 45 games.In the meantime, the Yankees (91-56) will hope to get more nights like Friday when they collected 14 hits and remained 1 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the wild-card race. For the Blue Jays losing a player like Judge is equal to losing a bat such as Josh Donaldson, who missed over three months with a calf injury before getting traded to the Cleveland Indians.“Anytime one of your top guys go down, it’s a pretty big hole,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said Friday afternoon. “Some teams have more to cover than others but it’s still Gary Carter Jersey , he’s been the guy here. Then they got to change their lineup a little bit. Even if a guy’s struggling you’re aware where he is in the lineup, he’s probably going to come up. A guy like that can beat you, even if he mishits a ball, that can change a game.” The Blue Jays (65-82) are 4-9 in their last 13 games and officially clinched their second straight losing season after making consecutive postseason appearances in 2015 and 2016.“It’s the way it goes sometimes in this game,” Gibbons said. “It’s tough to stay on top. We’re in a rebuild mode now, so you’re going to take your lumps.”Toronto has taken its lumps when facing a left-handed starter and after doing little off Masahiro Tanaka, the Blue Jays face CC Sabathia. Toronto has lost its last nine games when facing a southpaw starter and is a major league-worst 14-35 in those games.CC Sabathia makes his fifth attempt at getting his 245th career win, which would tie him with Dennis Martinez and Jack Powell for 53rd on the all-time list. Since getting his 244th career win Aug. 12 against Texas, he is 0-2 with a 4.87 ERA.Sabathia last pitched in Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Seattle when he allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings while getting a no-decision.The left-hander is 18-11 with a 3.48 ERA in 34 career starts against the Blue Jays. Sean-Reid Foley will make his fifth career start and so far, he is 1-3 with a 6.86 ERA. Reid-Foley fanned 10 in seven innings for his first career win Sept. 2 at Miami but allowed six runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings last Saturday in a 9-8 loss to Cleveland.Reid-Foley opposed the Yankees in New York on Aug. 18 and was tagged for eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. It was the shortest of his starts so far.
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