The Houston Astros are -136 home favorites over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park
Left-hander Framber Valdez (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will pitch for the Astros against Nick Pivetta (6-0, 3.86)
A look at the Red Sox-Astros matchup can be found below with a prediction
Nick Pivetta will try to keep his perfect record intact when his Boston Red Sox visit the Houston Astros at 8:10 p.m. ET Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.
The right-hander has yet to lose in 12 starts for the Red Sox since being acquired last Aug. 21 from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade. Pivetta (6-0, 3.86 ERA this season) will be opposed by left-hander Framber Valdez (0-1, 2.25).
Favorites on Wednesday, the Astros (30-24) have won the first two games of the four-game series to run their winning streak to three, including 5-1 on Tuesday night. That comes after a stretch of six losses in seven games.
The Red Sox (32-22) were on a three-game winning streak when they arrived in Houston.
Red Sox vs Astros Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | +118 | +1.5 (-175) | Over 9 (-105) |
| Houston Astros | -136 | -1.5 (+145) | Under 9 (-117) |
Odds as of June 2nd.
Pivetta Pivotal for Red Sox
Pivetta is 8-0 overall with a 3.53 ERA since joining the Red Sox. Boston has also won 11 of the 12 games he has started, including the last six.
Just three pitchers have gone unbeaten in their first 12 starts with the Red Sox. Pivetta joins Mike Nagy (1969) and Matt Clement (2005).
In his last outing, Pivetta beat the Atlanta Braves last Wednesday in Boston. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings with nine strikeouts and two walks. Pivetta did not factor in the decision in his previous two games.
Pivetta has three quality starts in 10 outings this season. He has pitched at least five innings nine times and has gone six innings on five occasions.
Pivetta lost his lone career start against the Astros in 2017 as a rookie with the Phillies, getting tagged for five runs in six innings.
If the Red Sox can get the ball to closer Matt Barnes with a lead, they should be in good shape. He has converted 12 of 13 save opportunities this season and struck out 41 of the 85 batters he has faced.
Astros Career Stats vs Pivetta
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
| Carlos Correa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Alex Bregman | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Yordan Alvarez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Yuli Gurriel | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 |
| Kyle Tucker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Chas McCormick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Myles Straw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Martin Maldonado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (strained right wrist) and Yuli Gurriel (left middle finger inflammation) returned to the lineup Monday. Alvarez sat out the previous five games and Gurriel missed three games.
Right fielder Kyle Tucker is the Astros’ hottest hitter. He is batting .354 (29 for 82) in his last 21 games with six doubles, one triple, six home runs and 19 RBIs.
Third baseman Alex Bregman has been on base in 19 straight games while the Astros have scored at least five runs in each of the last four games and 31 total in that span.
MLB Odds
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Valdez Shakes Off Rust
Valdez came off the injured list to make his first start of the season last Friday at home against the San Diego Padres.
He had a no-decision while pitching four innings and giving one run, two hits and two walks. Valdez also recorded four strikeouts while throwing 72 pitches.
Valdez most of the first two months of the season with a broken left ring finger. He was injured March 2 during his first start of spring training.
In two rehab starts with Triple-A Sugar Land, Valdez was touched for five runs in seven innings. Only one of the runs was earned, though.
Valdez has made two career relief appearances against the Red Sox, going 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
Red Sox Career Stats vs Valdez
| Player | AB | H | HR | RBI | K | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kike Hernandez | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 |
| Alex Verdugo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| J.D. Martinez | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Xander Bogaerts | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Rafael Devers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Hunter Renfroe | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .167 |
| Christian Arroyo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Christian Vazquez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Bobby Dalbec | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
The Red Sox have scored just six runs over their last three games. They have also been held to four runs in fewer in six of eight games.
Altuve Provides Instant Offense
Jose Altuve homered and Luis Garcia allowed one run in a career-high seven innings in the Astros’ win Tuesday night.
Altuve led off the bottom of the first with his eighth homer, a drive to left-center. It was Altuve’s third leadoff homer this season.
Boston Won When It Counted
This series marks the first time the teams have met since 2019.
The Astros won the season series for three straight years from 2017-19, going a combined 12-8. However, the Red Sox beat the Astros in five games in the 2018 American League Championship Series as they denied Houston back-to-back World Series appearances.
The Astros have played well against good teams this season as they are 20-13 against clubs with winning records.
However, the Red Sox just don’t lose when Pivetta is on the mound. He looks like a solid play going against Valdez, who is still rounding into form.
The Pick: Red Sox (+118)