Call it the Best of the Best. Call it the Clash of the Titans. Call it whatever you want, but the Astros-Red Sox ALCS that begins Saturday in Boston is as good as it gets.
Both teams set franchise records for wins this season, the Red Sox with 108, the Astros with 103. The 211 combined regular-season wins is tied for the second all time of teams meeting in the playoffs, trailing only the 1998 Yankees-Padres World Series by one win.
- The Red Sox have the best offense in the majors, scoring 5.4 runs per game. The Astros are the best at run prevention, allowing 3.3 runs per game.
- The Astros rank first in run differential with a +263. The Red Sox are second at +229.
- The Red Sox have the best home record in baseball at 57-24. The Astros have the best road record in baseball at 57-24.
I like the Astros starting lineup better. I like the Astros starting rotation better. I like the Astros bullpen better. I like the Astros manager, A.J. Hinch, better, although nobody knows the Astros better than Red Sox manager Alex Cora. It almost makes it sound as if I think the Red Sox suck. Obviously, they don’t. This will come down to which team makes fewer mental mistakes and whose roster is deeper mentally. I think the Astros have the edge there as well.
The play: The Astros (-140) to win the ALCS.