Chris Sale makes third start since coming off the IL, Wilyer Abreu starts in left field
The Red Sox have dropped two straight games to the Astros and are now 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
Boston will turn to Chris Sale to help keep the Astros offense in check and get the Sox back in the win column. Since his return from the injured list, Sale has held opposing batters to a .100 batting average (3-for-30) in two starts.
Sale enters this game with a 2.20 career ERA in nine career starts against the Astros. The Sox are 9-4 in his starts this season, including 4-1 in his last five starts.
Wilyer Abreu will make his first start in left field and will bat seventh in the lineup. Abreu made his major league debut on Tuesday night after Alex Verdugo was ejected for arguing balls and strikes from the dugout with the home plate umpire.
The 24-year-old went 2-for-3 with a double and a run, while also committing an error in right field. Boston has committed five errors in the last two games.
Trevor Story and Verdugo are a career 3-for-8 against Urquidy. Story has two career doubles while Verdugo has one against the Astros hurler.
Again Duvall has swung a hot bat over the last two games in Houston. He is 5-for-9 with two doubles, two homers and four RBI. Duvall has homered in consecutive games for the third time this season.
Red Sox Notebook:
WHO: Red Sox (66-60) at Astros (72-55)
WHEN:Â 8:10 p.m.
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas.
SERIES TO DATE: Astros lead the series, 2-0.
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Chris Sale (5-3, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP José Urquidy (2-3, 5.21 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
RED SOX LINEUP
Alex Verdugo RF
Rafael Devers 3B
Justin Turner DH
Triston Casas 1B
Adam Duvall CF
Trevor Story SS
Wilyer Abreu LF
Pablo Reyes 2B
Connor Wong C
Around the Horn
The Red Sox lost to the Astros on Tuesday night, 7-3, despite out-hitting the Astros 10-8. They recorded 10-plus hits for the fifth time in their last six games.
Tanner Houck returned from the IL and made his first start since 6/16, allowing three runs in 5 innings (4 H, 3 BB, 2 SO).
Justin Turner has eight RBI in his last four games, going 7-for-18 over that stretch (.389 AVG, double, home run, walk). Since 6/1, he ranks third in MLB with 60 RBI.
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique
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Chris is another great example of getting someone else’s reject. As of today he has been a RedSox for almost 6 seasons and he has averaged less than 100 innings per season. Chris I think you have been so overpaid by the RedSox that you owe every season ticket holder a refund for 3 seasons. Before anyone gets butt hurt about the 2018 World Series it’s a series we won without him. 2017 was his only season as a RedSox that he actually pitched like he was being paid.