The Wednesday, October 4, 2017

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Drew Pomeranz to start Game 2 of playoffs for Red Sox

Alex Speier

After a regular season in which and anchored the Red Sox rotation, that duo will likewise lead the team into the best-of-five Division Series against the Astros.

Manager John Farrell announced prior to a team workout Tuesday that after Sale starts against in Game 1, Pomeranz will get the ball against Houston’s Friday in Game 2. Beyond that, Farrell said, the team continues to work to determine how it will try to stop the explosive Houston offense.

Sale’s start in Game 1 became a certainty when the Red Sox clinched the AL East Saturday with a win over Houston at , eliminating any need for the All-Star lefthander to pitch in Sunday’s regular- season finale.

Sale went 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA this season while leading the league with 214⅓ innings and 308 .

Sale will be making his first career postseason start. In six career starts against the Astros (most recently in 2016 while still with the White Sox), Sale has been overpowering, going 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA, 65 strikeouts, and 5 walks in 48 innings.

“He’s going to give us a chance to win,” said . “Can’t ask for anything more than that.”

In preparation for Thursday, Sale, who last pitched Sept. 26, had what Farrell characterized as a high- intensity session Monday.

“He’s tuned up and ready to go,” said Farrell.

Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32) was a candidate for either Game 2 or Game 3, depending upon how he emerged from his six-inning effort in Saturday’s division-clinching win. Based on that performance, the Sox felt comfortable having Pomeranz pitch on five days’ rest Friday rather than giving him seven days between starts with an assignment in Sunday’s Game 3.

For the season, Pomeranz was 6-2 with a 3.52 ERA and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings when pitching with five days between starts.

Beyond those two, Farrell said the Red Sox have yet to determine the rest of their rotation. Righties Doug Fister and and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez are candidates to start in the series; Porcello and Rodriguez are also candidates for the bullpen.

Fister has an excellent postseason track record (4-2, 2.60 in nine games), while Porcello has struggled (0-3, 5.66). Rodriguez has never pitched in the playoffs.

Fister’s success will be considered.

“You do like the fact of a veteran presence,” said Farrell. “Guys that have been in a postseason, guys who seemingly will pitch with more emotional control, or control the running game, or execute a pitch in a key moment. That has maybe a tendency to shine through a little more.”

Recent performance also will help shape the decision. Rodriguez (6-7, 4.19) was hammered by Houston for five runs in 1⅔ innings in his final regular-season start, one day before Fister (5-9, 4.88) allowed three runs over 5⅓ innings against the Astros.

Porcello (11-17, 4.65) allowed nine runs over 9⅔ innings in his final two starts, but in both instances, the Sox paired him with reliever , who delivered dominant outings out of the bullpen. That fit of a starter and the bullpen is also a consideration as the Sox decide on their remaining series starters.

“There’s got to be some complement there,” said Farrell.

Farrell didn’t rule out the possibility of using Sale on three days’ rest in a potential Game 4, but he said that such a decision would be a product of what happens in the series opener.

The manager did eliminate Price as a rotation candidate, instead eyeing the lefty to continue in his role as a multi-innings bullpen weapon.

“He’s not going to start,” said Farrell. “I don’t think we can ask anything more from David Price from a physical standpoint the way he’s handled and embraced this role. It’s been outstanding.”

Nunez improves Eduardo Nunez passed another set of tests regarding his injured right knee, running the bases and sliding during Tuesday’s workout. Farrell said Nunez has shown “marked improvement” from similar tests that he underwent prior to a one-game return to the lineup Sept. 25.

“Everything points to him being available in the series,” said Farrell.

The Sox are still trying to figure out whether Nunez, who is using a larger brace to provide added stability in the wake of his strained ligament, will be able to play defense.

Given that Keuchel held lefties to a .145 average and .435 OPS, Farrell suggested that the Sox see that as a possibility for the righthanded Nunez to start at third in place of the lefthanded-hitting .

Farrell did not sound inclined to use Nunez (who .321 with an .892 OPS over 38 games after the Sox acquired him in a ) as the DH in place of Hanley Ramirez (.242 with a .750 OPS in 133 games).

“I wouldn’t rule it out completely, but I like the fact of the way Hanley was swinging the bat over the last five to seven or eight games,” said Farrell.

More than one After the All-Star break, just two of ’s 31 appearances lasted more than one inning, and none of his 19 outings after Aug. 13 had him pitching in any inning but the ninth. Farrell is open to broadening that job description for the playoffs. “We’ve used him as much as two full innings,” said Farrell. “While you don’t necessarily want to do that all the time, one-plus innings are going to be on the table every day provided that the day before wasn’t two innings or a high number of pitches.” . . . Betts, who sat out two games last week after receiving a painkilling injection in his left wrist, said he’s not hampered by the injury. “I feel fine,” said Betts. “Everything is healed up and ready to go. Swinging and everything is normal.” . . . Potential AL Championship Series tickets will go on sale Wednesday at noon on redsox.com. Fans with disabilities can call (877) RED-SOX9 beginning at noon. Hearing-impaired patrons may call the TTY line at (617) 226-6644. There is a four-ticket limit, with prices ranging from $75 to $275.

Secret to the Red Sox’ success was simple: Pitching

Alex Speier

On paper, the Red Sox had no business winning 93 games this season. After all, that total had been achieved a year ago by a team that looked like a juggernaut, a drastic contrast to this year’s duct-taped roster.

The 2017 Red Sox did not have . Their reigning winner saw his ERA jump by 1.50 runs per game. Their 2016 starter made 24 fewer starts than he made last season. Tyler Thornburg, their anticipated eighth-inning reliever, never pitched. Nearly every member of the lineup underperformed his 2016 production.

“While everyone refers to a blueprint,” said manager John Farrell, “we’ve had to turn the page on the blueprint a number of times and still have been able to maintain the results.”

So how on earth did they do it? And why would it be a mistake right now to dismiss their chances of postseason success?

Put simply, the Red Sox delivered one of the most dominant pitching seasons in team history. The team ERA was 3.70, roughly two-thirds of a run better than the average of 4.37. That 0.67 difference marked the second-greatest margin by which the Red Sox have ever beaten their league, topped only by a carried-by-Pedro 1999 team that was 0.71 runs better (4.00 vs. 4.71).

The Red Sox outperformed the league by 15.3 percent — their biggest margin since was a member of the rotation in 1918.

Pitching in Where this year's pitching staff ranked in terms of the best performances ever by the franchise, relative to the league Season Red Sox Team ERA League ERA Difference Percent 1999 4.00 4.71 -0.71 15.07% 2017 3.70 4.37 -0.67 15.33% 1911 2.74 3.36 -0.62 18.45% 1912* 2.76 3.37 -0.61 18.10% 2007* 3.87 4.47 -0.60 13.42% 1914 2.36 2.91 -0.55 18.90% 1953 3.59 4.14 -0.55 13.29% 1904 2.12 2.66 -0.54 20.30% 1903* 2.57 3.11 -0.54 17.36% 2002 3.75 4.28 -0.53 12.38% 2000 4.24 4.77 -0.53 11.11% 1915* 2.39 2.90 -0.51 17.59% 1917 2.20 2.68 -0.48 17.91% 1918* 2.31 2.77 -0.46 16.61% 1993 3.80 4.19 -0.39 9.31% SOURCE: -Reference.com * - Won

While Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel were the headliners in that effort, the contributions extended far beyond that duo. The Red Sox had 10 with an ERA+ (ERA compared to league average, with 100 being average and 110 being 10 percent above average) of 130 or higher (minimum 15 innings), tied for the most in AL history. They had 12 with an ERA+ of 120 and 13 with a mark of 110 or better.

Top to bottom, this staff ran deeper in above-average contributions than any in team history — and, for that matter, any team’s history. There was no soft underbelly, no weak link, particularly once the addition of Addison Reed solidified the bullpen structure.

“I’ve never seen this kind of depth as far as, from starter to , the depth that in this day and age is necessary,” said first base coach Ruben Amaro, who as Philadelphia’s general manager assembled a number of standout staffs there. “To have the middle relievers and setup relievers and those guys pitch as well as they have, that kind of depth I’ve never seen.”

Given the pitchers the Red Sox lost — Thornburg for the entire campaign, plus starters Price and Steven Wright and reliever Carson Smith for most of the year, and Eduardo Rodriguez for a sizable chunk — the overall performance is astounding, particularly given the concerns that hovered at the start of the year.

“The pitching depth, if you remember early in the spring, everyone was criticizing it,” said president of baseball operations .

“Some of our guys really stepped up.

“We lost Steven Wright, who made the All-Star team [in 2016]. David Price made 11 starts, one of the best pitchers in baseball, yet our starting staff has done a really good job. We thought [the bullpen] had a chance to be good but the way it’s performed is really exceptional in some ways.”

In many ways, the second game of the season represented the tone-setter. Though Sale was dominant over seven innings in his Red Sox debut, the lineup couldn’t offer him any backing. Yet Sale’s shutout effort was extended by , Craig Kimbrel, , Robby Scott, and finally , allowing the Sox to claim a 3-0 win in 12 innings.

From that point forward, did it seem like . . .

“Yes,” interrupted Farrell. “Before you finish the question, yes. Every night has been a grind. Every night has been extremely rewarding because of the way guys have been performing in key spots. You can’t say it’s been only Craig Kimbrel and Chris Sale.”

Farrell went on to list a litany of performances from the bullpen that proved difference-making, efforts by Reed, Barnes, Hembree, Scott, Kelly, Fernando Abad, , Blaine Boyer, Austin Maddox, Ben Taylor, and most recently Smith and Price.

The Sox bullpen navigated a season-long tightrope in shockingly successful fashion. Its depth was an enormous separator, in many ways responsible for the Sox’ second straight AL East title.

Fangraphs measures “Win Probability Added,” a statistic that reflects the increased or diminished likelihood of a victory with every batter outcome. A bases-empty, two-out walkoff homer in a tie game, for instance, would represent a decrease in win probability from about 50 percent to exactly 0 percent; the who gave up the walkoff thus would be credited with (roughly) a -0.5 Win Probability Added.

The Red Sox bullpen, for the year, received credit for a 10.63 WPA — the highest in team history, nearly 30 percent better than any other team in the majors, and the eighth-highest mark by any team since the statistic has been tracked (starting in 1974). The pitching staff permitted the Red Sox to fashion late-inning wins in a way unmatched in the majors this year — the most stunning example being the team’s 15-3 record in extras.

“The difference in our season is how our bullpen has handled extra-inning games,” said Farrell. “That’s a direct reflection of where we stand in this division. That means high-stress, high-leverage innings — maybe more than any other team in the league has been faced with. We’ve excelled in those spots.”

Deep depth in the pitching staff Red Sox pitchers by ERA+ (ERA relative to league average, where 100 is average), min. 15 innings Name ERA IP ERA+ Austin Maddox 0.52 17.1 894 Craig Kimbrel 1.43 69 319 Joe Kelly 2.79 58 164 Hector Velazquez 2.92 24.2 158 Chris Sale 2.90 214.1 157 Brandon Workman 3.18 39.2 144 Fernando Abad 3.30 43.2 139 Addison Reed 3.33 27 138 Drew Pomeranz 3.32 173.2 137 David Price 3.38 74.2 135 Heath Hembree 3.63 62 126 Robby Scott 3.79 35.2 121 Matt Barnes 3.88 69.2 118 Eduardo Rodriguez 4.19 137.1 109 Brian Johnson 4.33 27 106 Blaine Boyer 4.35 41.1 105 Rick Porcello 4.65 203.1 98 Doug Fister 4.88 90.1 94 Ben Taylor 5.19 17.1 89 Steven Wright 8.25 24 56 SOURCE: Baseball-Reference.com

But now, can the strength of the overall staff depth manifest itself as the foundation for a run against elite competition in October?

Farrell noted how bullpen pecking orders change even during the playoffs, how the 2013 Red Sox’ World Series run required an adjustment when Craig Breslow — dominant through two rounds of the playoffs — hit a wall in the World Series. Then, the presence of Felix Doubront as a bridge to the late innings and the emergence of Brandon Workman allowed the team to adapt.

Farrell believes this club, by virtue of the quantity of arms it has had throughout the year, has the potential to manage October’s workload.

“I think back to the guys who missed [time], they’re going to play a more important role because they might be a little more fresh,” said Farrell. “Every October, there’s going to be one or two guys that do something you don’t anticipate. Felix Doubront in 2013, could that be David Price? Possibly.

“We know there’s going to be change. We have to be open-minded to that. I love the fact that we’re equipped.”

The tale of the tape unquestionably will favor Red Sox postseason opponents in certain respects, whether in comparison with Houston’s lineup or Cleveland’s rotation. But ultimately, the Sox believe that the way they spent the regular season hugging hairpin turns along a cliff can serve as the basis for an unlikely winding road through October.

“Pitching rules,” said Amaro. “In almost every case, quality pitching can beat up on quality offensive players or offensive teams if pitches are being executed properly.

“A lot of things have to fall right to have success in a playoff scenario, but I’ll take our chances with our guys because of the quality of depth we have, the 13, 14, 15 quality guys we can run out there.

“If you have that kind of depth pitching-wise, you’ve got a chance.”

Red Sox have edge on Astros in more ways than you might think

Nick Cafardo

Who’s the better overall team, the Astros or the Red Sox?

The numbers will tell you it’s Houston, which won 101 games and smashed every offensive category, compared with Boston’s 93 wins and so-so offense.

The Astros’ lineup doesn’t quit, top to bottom, and its power gives it the ability to score multiple runs with one swing.

The Astros have the likely American League MVP in Jose Altuve, and a group of core players in . center fielder , , and that should make this a team to be reckoned with for years.

Their rotation got better when Justin Verlander (5-0, 1.06 ERA in five starts) joined them in late August.

But don’t dismiss the Red Sox.

Let’s face it, Chris Sale is the key. If he beats Houston in Game 1, he takes away the Astros’ home-field advantage and puts the series on even footing. If he loses, it’s going to be a tough climb for the Red Sox.

Here’s a closer look at the matchup:

Starting pitching Justin Verlander has made the Astros a legitimate threat to the Red Sox in starting pitching. He and lefthander Dallas Keuchel, both former AL Cy Young winners, are a pretty tough 1-2 punch to go against Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz, who pitched two super games against the Astros this season. Beyond that, the Red Sox may have an edge. The Astros will have to go with , and if they go four deep, it’s likely Lance McCullers Jr. The Red Sox can counter with either righties Rick Porcello and Doug Fister or lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Boston’s lefty-dominated rotation could be a plus against the Astros, who were 21-23 against lefty starters. However, the Red Sox allowed a franchise-high 195 homers and are facing a team that hit 238 homers, second only to the Yankees. The Astros’ starters had a lower ERA than Boston’s, but the lefthanded factor is big.

ADVANTAGE: Boston

Bullpen The Red Sox’ bullpen has been aces all season, and adding David Price in a multipurpose role really gives it a leg up in this category. The Sox can use Price in high-leverage situations from the fifth inning on, Addison Reed in setup, and Craig Kimbrel to close. They have the fireballing Joe Kelly for situations late in the game, and he also can be used for middle relief if the starter goes five. The Astros have a decent bullpen with , , , , , and , but it doesn’t quite measure up to Boston’s. “They can shorten the game with their bullpen,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “Especially with Price now in the pen throwing the way he’s thrown the last couple times against us. Kimbrel, an elite closer, at the end. You’ve got to get them early, and the games that we’ve had success against them, we’ve done that.”

ADVANTAGE: Boston

Infield The Astros have a young, star-studded infield led by Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa. There are impact young players at the corners in third baseman Alex Bregman and first baseman Yuli Gurriel. This outshines Boston’s group. The Astros infield hit a combined .320 with 51 homers, 320 RBIs, and a .915 OPS, compared with Boston’s .255 with 29 homers, 272 RBIs, and .728 OPS. The Red Sox’ numbers were brought down by and the small sample size from rookie Rafael Devers, who has been a tad shaky at third base.

ADVANTAGE: Houston

Outfield The Red Sox might have the best defensive in baseball with , Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts, essentially three center fielders catching everything in sight, which will be important against this high-powered offense. Right fielder has had an excellent first season in Houston and can hit lefties. Marwin Gonzalez (.303, 23, 90) also has exceeded expectations as the primary left fielder (he also has played all four infield positions this season). Center fielder George Springer had 34 homers as the leadoff hitter, with a .367 OBP. The Red Sox come out ahead because their defense saves more runs.

ADVANTAGE: Boston.

Catching The Red Sox don’t have a with Brian McCann’s offensive production (18 homers), but McCann can be run on. The Red Sox have two who do an excellent job throwing out runners. The Red Sox were second in the majors in percentage (.610 percent), allowing only 61 steals. The Astros allowed 102 steals, 30th in the majors, with an .879 stolen base percentage. Christian Vazquez transformed himself offensively, hitting .290. Sandy Leon went backward with his offense, but his importance lies in handling Chris Sale.

ADVANTAGE: Boston.

Designated hitter Hard to imagine that even without David Ortiz, the Red Sox would have an advantage in this spot over anyone, but Boston’s DHs ranked sixth in the AL with a .246 average, to go with 24 homers, 67 RBIs, and a .744 OPS. The Astros were 14th out of 15 AL teams with a .226 average, 19 homers, 71 RBIs, and a .671 OPS. That’s not to say Carlos Beltran and aren’t tough hitters. They were just slightly outshined by Hanley Ramirez and various other DH fill-ins.

ADVANTAGE: Boston.

Bench Neither team has to rely much on its bench, especially Houston with its powerful lineup. The Red Sox must have a bench that works, with and Eduardo Nunez both dealing with knee injuries. If Nunez makes it, he’ll come off the bench as either a DH or possibly at third base against a tough lefty like Dallas Keuchel. If the Red Sox keep Rajai Davis for speed to take advantage of Brian McCann’s subpar throwing, and if they keep Deven Marrero for late-inning defense at third, they seem to have more options.

ADVANTAGE: Boston.

Manager John Farrell has the hardware and the accolades: three divisional titles and a World Series championship. A.J. Hinch has only one division title, but he has managed a near-perfect season to this point, complete with 101 wins. He will be strongly considered for AL Manager of the Year.

ADVANTAGE: Houston.

Key players Boston: David Price

Houston: Justin Verlander.

Last year, we chose Cleveland lefthander as the key player before the Red Sox-Indians Division Series. This time we’re going with Price, who could serve in a similar role. The Astros became a popular choice to go all the way when they acquired Verlander from the Tigers. We’ll see if he fulfills that promise. He may be what separates a good Astros team from a great Astros team.

ADVANTAGE: Astros.

SERIES PREDICTION: Red Sox in five.

Breaking down a potential Red Sox postseason roster

Peter Abraham

The Red Sox do not intend to reveal their playoff roster until they are required to on Thursday morning. But nothing says we can’t have a little fun guessing who will make it.

We tried to project the roster on Sept. 2 and believed at the time they would keep 12 pitchers.

That has changed. The unsure health status of Eduardo Nunez and Dustin Pedroia will force the Red Sox to carry an extra bench player, something manager John Farrell acknowledged on Sunday.

So here is another projection:

Outfielders (4): LF Andrew Benintendi. RF Mookie Betts, CF Jackie Bradley Jr., OF Rajai Davis.

Catchers (2): Sandy Leon, Christian Vazquez.

Designated hitter (1): Hanley Ramirez.

Infielders (7): SS , 3B Rafael Devers, INF , INF Deven Marrero, 1B , INF Nunez, 2B Pedroia.

Rotation (4): LHP Chris Sale, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Rick Porcello, RHP Doug Fister.

Bullpen (7): RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Addison Reed, LHP David Price, RHP Joe Kelly, LHP Robby Scott, RHP Brandon Workman, RHP Carson Smith.

The toughest decision will be who to keep as a No. 4 starter. Fister kept the Sox in the game against Houston last week, something Eduardo Rodriguez could not. Fister also has eight playoff starts and Rodriguez none.

Could they keep Rodriguez in the bullpen as a long reliever instead of Workman? Sure. But Workman would be helpful for one or two batters, something Rodriguez has never done.

Matt Barnes (70 games) and Heath Hembree (62 games) will be and should be furious if they don’t make it. They shouldered a heavy load all season and did a solid job. But Price going into the bullpen changed everything.

Here are some other thoughts on the upcoming series against the Astros:

■ How well Bradley Jr. and Benintendi play defensively could win or lose this series. The Astros are loaded with righthanded hitters who wear out the tricky gap in left center in .

If the Sox can steal some hits away from players like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel and George Springer, it changes the series. Bradley’s range could be a huge factor.

■ Astros catchers caught only 14 of 116 base stealers, a pathetic 12 percent. That was the worst in the American League. The Sox will be running from the jump in this series.

■ Pedroia is 3 for 30 against Justin Verlander in his career. He also ended the season in a 3-for-27 skid. Where he hits Thursday will be interesting.

■ How Price has evolved is an interesting topic. Let’s say the Sox had planned to prepare him as a starter. He could have theoretically built up to six innings after recovering from his injury and been lined up to start Game 2 or 3.

So let’s say they did that. Price starts Game 3 and goes six innings. That would have been it for the series.

In the role he is in now, Price could theoretically appear in three or four games for 3-6 outs each time. So instead of 18 outs, he could get as many as 24 and impact far more than one game.

Price has been dominant as a reliever, both with his command and velocity. The way the Sox are playing this could be one of the deciding factors in the series.

■ If the Sox get swept, there will be calls for Farrell to be fired and perhaps he will be. But something to keep in mind: Farrell has won three AL East championships, something no Sox manager has ever done. ? He had one.

Here are the managers with three or more AL East titles: (10), Earl Weaver (6), Cito Gaston (4), Farrell (3), Joe Girardi (3), and (3). That’s it.

To win the World Series, you have to get to the playoffs. In the American League East, that is not easy. Here is what we know for sure: In the two full seasons Farrell has worked with Dave Dombrowski, the Sox have finished in first place. That seems like something you’d want to see more of.

A few non-playoff thoughts:

■ Here’s hoping the Sox follow the lead of other teams and extend the protective netting behind the dugouts. Look at it this way: Almost every team has a fence in front of the dugout to protect the players. Shouldn’t there be something for the safety of fans who are just as close?

■ In case you missed it, Pedro Martinez Jr., a 17-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic, signed with the . The Hall of Famer’s son is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds.

■ Speaking of Pedro, the second-annual Pedro Martinez Charity Gala is Nov. 3 at the Colonnade Hotel. Go to PedroMartinezCharity.com for information.

■ The 10th annual David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic is Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Get information at DavidOrtizChildrensFund.org.

* The

Red Sox notebook: David Price’s versatility won’t extend beyond bullpen

Jason Mastrodonato

Don’t let David Price’s success out of the bullpen create the false illusion the left-hander is ready to start a playoff game. He hasn’t thrown more than 40 pitches and now is on a schedule that allows him to pitch on back-to-back days.

Red Sox manager John Farrell wasted no time shooting down the idea Price could start a potential Game 4 of the AL Division Series against the , giving a direct “no” when asked the question.

“I don’t think we can ask anything more from David Price from a physical standpoint the way he’s handled and embraced this role,” Farrell said yesterday. “It’s been outstanding.”

Price’s versatility is going to help Farrell deploy closer Craig Kimbrel more aggressively. Farrell even acknowledged the idea Price could pitch after Kimbrel in a playoff game.

“Depending on where we are in the lineup, I feel like there’s probably two or three guys down there who are interchangeable at the highest-leverage spots of the game right now,” Farrell said. “That includes David being one of those.”

Kimbrel, who hasn’t recorded more than three outs since early August, should be used for longer outings now that the postseason has arrived, Farrell said.

“We’ve used him as much as two full innings,” said Farrell, who hasn’t used Kimbrel for five outs since May. “And while you don’t necessarily want to do that all the time, one-plus innings are going to be on the table every day, provided that the day before wasn’t two innings or a high number of pitches.”

Update on Pedroia

The idea that Dustin Pedroia will be in the lineup every day for the Red Sox this postseason might be farfetched. The second baseman needed extensive rest down the stretch, playing in just 22 innings during the final week of the regular season.

The swelling in his left knee still is an issue.

“The last couple of days off have helped him,” Farrell said. “We know that this is a little bit of a situation that’s … it’s a work in progress. (We) don’t anticipate it really changing.” . . .

Eduardo Nunez, dealing with his own knee injury, is ready to help contribute, but the Red Sox aren’t sure if he’ll be able to play defense. If he can play in the field, Game 2 against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel is one possibility for Nunez to get on the field at third base in place of Rafael Devers.

“That’s one matchup in particular,” Farrell said.

Hanley on upswing

Farrell would like to avoid using Nunez as the designated hitter because he said he likes the way Hanley Ramirez swung the bat as the regular season drew to a close.

“That’s been a very good development on our part,” Farrell said.

Ramirez was 6-for-24 (.250) with two doubles and a homer during his final eight games. . . .

The chance to purchase tickets to any potential American League Championship Series games at Fenway Park will begin today at noon at redsox.com.

Red Sox will try to be aggressive against Astros defense

Michael Silverman

Thanks to Bill Buckner, no primer is needed for any self-respecting Red Sox fan when it comes to having a healthy appreciation of the importance of defense in the playoffs.

It doesn’t take a baseball disaster, however, to amplify the truth that defense, bad or good, always shows up and always plays in the playoffs. This Division Series between the Sox and Astros will be no different.

But what plays to the Sox’ advantage is they are an elite defensive team, arguably the best in all of baseball.

And the Astros?

They’re OK with the gloves.

Actually, if you apply the same defensive metrics that place the Red Sox atop all others in the game, the Astros measure up as one of the worst.

They are not one of the worst. Still, they don’t add up any better than average.

And this means the Red Sox offense, which we all know is an aggressive base-running unit, is going to try to find each and every edge it can in order to exploit weaknesses.

Astros catchers are not good at throwing out base-stealers (102 out of 116 attempted thieves succeeded against them this year), and while their starters are good at holding runners on, their relievers are not.

That means that as long they can get on base, the Red Sox — hello, Rajai Davis — will be off and running as often as is prudent.

Right fielder George Springer has an above-average arm, but the other outfielders rate as roughly average. That means Sox runners will be primed to take every extra 90 feet they can. They do that in their sleep, but this is the time when every edge has to be exploited to the maximum degree.

Good pitching tends to taper off the run-scoring in playoff games.

Good defense can help the Red Sox in the immense challenge they face trying to prevent the run-scoring machine of the Astros from crossing the plate.

And if the Astros defense is nothing special, the Red Sox baserunning operation will be ready to catch that inside edge.

Sox manager John Farrell acknowledges his team will look to exploit any holes in the Astros defense.

“One would say, ‘OK you’re facing better pitching top to bottom, so it has a tendency to be a lower-scoring game,’ ” Farrell said about playoff baseball. “An extra out or an extra 90 feet could potentially be the difference in the bottom-line result. So we feel like with the approach we have with a certain starting lineup, you’ve seen we’ve defended late at certain positions, I would expect to do that again moving forward if we’re on the positive side of the scoreboard. So pitching and defense, that’s where they become that much more of a priority. I don’t expect this one to be any different.”

The defensive metrics found on .com feature UZR (ultimate zone rating), DEF (defensive runs above average) and DRS (), three of the best resources to measure an individual or team’s defense.

Without diving into the numbers and formulae, the cumulative ratings of the Red Sox and Astros this season show stark differences. Using UZR, DEF and DRS, the Red Sox ranked first, first and third among the 30 MLB clubs.

The Astros ranked 28th, 29th and 21st.

Farrell said a number of factors will skew those statistics, and that one primary contributor is measuring defense when a team employs a defensive shift.

“(The Astros) employ probably the most shifts in the game, so when you have one or two balls that the metrics say should be made and it’s hit against the shift, it throws those numbers out of the whack,” the manager said.

That’s why he cautions against reading too much into the defensive numbers and doesn’t want anyone to think the Astros are bad with the gloves.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Farrell said. “They’re a very athletic team. In the series we just played, the number of balls we hit, they’re standing right there. And that’s four games, I know. But I think those zone ratings can be skewed for that reason.”

Every observer of the Red Sox this season should understand their defense, particularly in the outfield and behind the plate, is stellar.

The numbers on FanGraphs certainly seem to pass the eye test when it comes reflecting their abilities, which is why that stellar defense should come into play in this series.

And during the next three to five games, we are about to discover if the Astros defense passes the eye test or not.

Nobody will be watching more closely than the Red Sox.

An extra 90 feet or an extra out never have been so extraordinarily critical.

Thursday shapes up as epic night for Boston sports scene

Steve Buckley

Until it was brought to his attention yesterday, Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was unaware of just how crazy and chaotic tomorrow is going to be for Boston sports fans.

“Three teams on the same day?” Bradley said. “Wow, guess I’ve been preoccupied.”

If you’re Red Sox management, Bradley’s F in current events is good news. What the bosses want, what they expect, is for Bradley and his teammates to bring laser-beam focus to tomorrow’s Division Series opener against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

No Sox players should be worrying about the defense-challenged Patriots and their suddenly very interesting “Thursday Night Football” road showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And I’m guessing they aren’t breathless with anticipation for the Bruins’ 2017-18 season opener against the Nashville Predators at the Garden.

As for the rest of you? Have at it. With Red Sox-Astros getting under way at 4 p.m., followed by Bruins- Preds at 7 and Pats-Bucs at 8:25, that’s some crazy smorgasbord for Boston sports fans.

In the film classic “Field of Dreams,” Ray Kinsella tries to convince Terence Mann to visit his Iowa ball field by quoting some of the writer’s own prose. “There comes a time,” says Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, “when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place and the universe opens itself up a few seconds to show you what’s possible.”

That’s what we have here, folks. The cosmic tumblers, and your cable clickers, will be clicking into place tomorrow.

This happens surprisingly often. Just this spring, in fact, we had an occasion when four teams were working on the same day: On Saturday, April 8, the Red Sox played the Tigers at Detroit (1:10 p.m.), the New England Revolution hosted Houston at Gillette Stadium (2 p.m.), the Bruins closed out the regular season hosting the Washington Capitals at the Garden (3 p.m.), and the Celtics played the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center (6 p.m.).

But come on: An April Red Sox game? No Patriots game? And am I really stooping to include the Revolution here just to make a point?

This is different. These games tomorrow are important. The Red Sox game is important because it’s the playoffs. The Bruins game is important because of the pageantry of opening night. As for the Patriots, let’s be real: In the Brady/Belichick era, every game is colossally, monumentally, history-making important.

Especially this game, given that concerned fans see a Patriots defense so bad it’s only a matter of time before Gisele Bündchen, aka Mrs. Tom Brady, says something along the lines of, “He can’t throw the ball and play press corner at the same time.”

It’s always fun when our sports worlds collide, and we’ve had some doozies. Who could forget Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013? With 1:08 remaining in the game, Brady led the Pats on a 70-yard drive, culminating with a 17-yard TD pass to Kenbrell Thompkins to give the Pats a 30-27 victory against the undefeated New Orleans Saints. Early arrivals at Fenway were able to see the end of the game on the various flat screens set up around the old ballpark, and then settle in for an even wilder game as the Sox emerged with a 6-5 victory against the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALCS. This was classic David Ortiz stuff, with Big Papi electrifying the city with his eighth-inning, game-tying grand slam off Tigers reliever Joaquin Benoit.

On Sept. 1, 2007, I was lucky enough to be at Alumni Stadium to see Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan throw five touchdown passes against Wake Forest, after which I joined some friends at Fenway Park to watch throw his no-hitter against the Orioles.

On the night of April 29, 1986, the late, great Boston Globe sportswriter wasn’t so lucky. He hung around Fenway Park in the early innings of ’ start against the Mariners and then decided to head over to the Old Garden to watch the Celtics’ playoff game against the Atlanta Hawks. Clemens went on to register 20 strikeouts, a major league record.

The schedule-makers were kind to Boston sports fans, placing Game 1 of Sox- Astros in the late afternoon. That’ll give folks time to absorb the game and then switch to Pats-Bucs. The Bruins will draw some eyeballs early in their game against the Preds, but this year’s hockey opener is nonetheless a victim of bad timing. It’s gonna be all Red Sox, and then all Pats.

“Sounds like Boston’s in for a great day, full of activity,” Bradley said. “All we have to do now is deliver.”

For scheduling purposes, be advised that Game 7 of this year’s ALCS is slated for Saturday, Oct. 21. If the Sox are in it, and the series is delayed one day by rain, try to imagine Game 7 being played Sunday night opposite the Pats-Falcons rematch.

Talk about cosmic tumblers clicking into place.

Carson Smith amped up to play role for Red Sox in playoffs

Jason Mastrodonato

So many pitchers this time of year are reaching back just to throw with their normal power.

The radar guns aren’t usually lighting up in October.

But Red Sox reliever Carson Smith didn’t have a normal , nor does he have a full season of innings to wear down his legs and shoulder, which can so often suffer from fatigue during the fall months. The side-winding right-hander, whose velocity has sat around 91-93 mph since returning last month from nearly a two-year absence because of Tommy John surgery, still is getting stronger.

“I feel pretty good,” Smith said. “I think my fastball is getting there. Especially with high-leverage situations, the adrenaline kicks in, velocity upticks a bit. I just have to focus on hitting my spots. I think my stuff is there.”

Back when he was striking out nearly 12 batters per nine innings and posting a 2.31 ERA out of the bullpen in 2015, Smith was letting fly at an average of 94-96 mph. By the end of that season, however, he was down to 92-94.

The numbers should be trending in the other direction now. But any uptick in velocity in the postseason, when Smith is expected to play a key role in the Sox bullpen, would be a bonus.

That’s because he’s doing just fine with what he has. His signature pitch is a wipeout he throws from a low-arm slot. It creates the kind of movement that staff Chris Sale gets on his slider, except this one is coming from the right side.

Since his return, the sharpness to the pitch has been extraordinary. Smith threw 53 sliders in eight outings, and only three resulted in hits (all singles).

The first seven appearances were scoreless, and he finally allowed a run in the eighth, Saturday’s American League East-clinching win against the Houston Astros, who will host Game 1 of the Division Series tomorrow.

“I went out there and executed pitches, and I got outs,” Smith said. “Some in big moments, some when it was a blowout. I was just excited to get out there and prove I deserve to keep getting opportunities and prove I can help this team win.”

Smith retired righties and lefties, and he didn’t allow an extra-base hit.

“I’m obviously excited to be a part of this team,” he said. “There was one point throughout the season where I didn’t know if I was going to make a return. To come back and pitch in September and pitch pretty successfully is a good feeling coming off the surgery that took a lot out of me. There were a lot of ups and downs, a lot of energy and time spent trying to recover. I was just happy to be back pitching. And to be in the mix for the postseason roster, just to be in consideration, is a really good feeling.”

Ironically, Smith could end up making the postseason roster ahead of Brandon Workman, who underwent Tommy John surgery just before him. Workman was there to provide encouragement for Smith when the recovery phase started to look ugly, as it did in August when he temporarily had to stop his rehab assignment.

“I was with (Workman) a majority of last year when he was struggling and trying to come back,” Smith said. “He’s had a very successful season. I pick his brain as much as I can. . . . Just knowing that it will get there eventually with a positive attitude, that’s what he helped me with.”

Astros’ A.J. Hinch confident in victory despite Red Sox’ ‘high-end pitching’

Chad Jennings

Make no mistake, Astros manager A.J. Hinch believes his team will win the Division Series against the Red Sox.

He believes the acquisition of Justin Verlander was a playoff difference-maker. He believes in the depth and potency of his offense. He believes the combination of youthful energy and veteran know-how can carry the Astros to a World Series.

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t at least a little bit worried about the Red Sox heading into Game 1 in Houston tomorrow.

“Because I think their high-end pitching is extremely high-end,” Hinch said in a sit-down interview with the Herald. “When you’re talking about a potential game where you’ve got to get to (Chris) Sale, or you’ve got to get to (Craig) Kimbrel, with (David) Price mixed in. That combination, in a short series, is very threatening. We’ll grind out our at-bats, and I like our guys, and we’ll be able to (compete). But that’s the competition that (makes it tough).

“And quite honestly, that’s what the playoffs are about. It’s going to be the way for Cleveland or the Yankees or Minnesota in the American League because there are no guarantees once you get here. All these years, these numbers that are put up on the board, you wipe away. The accolades are for not. It’s a nine-inning grind-fest to see who can win that game, and that game can dictate a lot of things that go into the next game.”

While the Red Sox can’t match the Astros’ rotation depth — Houston is going to have at least one starter with a sub-4.00 ERA who doesn’t make the postseason rotation — they can make up for that weakness with the overwhelming strength of Game 1 starter Sale.

“In a short series, it’s huge,” Hinch said. “Obviously in our sport, anybody can beat anybody, and (when) you match up with an elite guy, it makes it even that much more difficult. Now, we’re going to match him up with an elite guy as well (in Verlander), so we hope to neutralize that in a way. If he pitches Game 1 and a potential Game 5, they’re both at our ballpark. That’s probably helpful for us, just atmosphere-wise, but it’s difficult. … His strikeout ability, even against teams that don’t strike out, like us, his flair for the dramatic — I think you almost flush away anything that’s happened during the year. It’s all about that moment, and elite players are usually elite in big moments.”

And, at any moment, the Red Sox have the ability to cut the game in half with Price, Addison Reed and Kimbrel. Those three could, if necessary, give the Red Sox at least four innings, maybe five.

“(Price) is a weapon, yeah,” Hinch said. “He’s a weapon. Couple of things: One, his stuff has come back. And two, regardless of all the things that have gone on with him — in the rotation, not in the rotation, hurt, not hurt — his stuff is really good. And he’s going to be calm in the moment. He has pitched in the playoffs before. I know it hasn’t been his best as a starter, but when he comes out of the bullpen, he’ll have a plan. He’ll have himself under control. He’ll be the calmest guy on the field at the time. Quite honestly, he’s paid to be tough on the opponent, and we respect that.”

One relative weakness for the Red Sox is their offense. While the Astros led the majors in most key offensive categories, including runs scored, by a large margin, the Red Sox hit fewer home runs than any other AL team.

Hinch puts little stock in that statistic.

“I still think there’s power in there,” he said. “Just because they don’t sell out (for power) doesn’t mean they can’t hit homers. You still have to fear the home run from (Mookie) Betts and (Mitch) Moreland and Hanley (Ramirez), guys that can reach the seats on bad pitches. (Andrew) Benintendi’s the same way. (Jackie) Bradley can hit homers.

“(Last Thursday), when Moreland hit the ball out of the ballpark, it didn’t feel like they didn’t have power. You know what I mean? Any given moment, they have the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark. They just haven’t, as a group, compared to league average.”

So if he respects the Sox’ offensive ability, and he acknowledges the potential dominance of their pitching staff, what is it that makes Hinch so confident in his own team?

Is it his elite young hitters like Carlos Correa and George Springer? Is it his 1-2 punch of Verlander and Dallas Keuchel atop the rotation? Is it MVP candidate Jose Altuve, under-the-radar closer Ken Giles, or the tremendous second-half of Alex Bregman?

It’s none of those things, and it’s all of those things. What makes the Astros capable of winning it all?

“We have a deep roster,” Hinch said. “We can come at you. I mean, I’ve got Yuli Gurriel hitting eighth, and I’ve got (Brian) McCann hitting ninth. I’ve got Marwin Gonzalez, who’s evolved into an elite player, (available to play anywhere). We’ve got a matchup for everything. And I think (because of) the depth of our roster, we will always come at you. I can always put a good pitcher in. We don’t have a soft spot on our team. We have guys on our bench who should play every day. That’s, I think, how we’ve gotten where we’ve gotten.”

And that, Hinch believes, will keep them going beyond the ALDS.

John Farrell names Drew Pomeranz to start Game 2 but nothing beyond

Jason Mastrodonato

To no one’s surprise, Red Sox manager John Farrell announced yesterday that Drew Pomeranz would be Friday’s Game 2 starter against the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series, which begins tomorrow.

Pomeranz finished 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA. He threw six shutout innings against the Astros on Saturday before giving up a single that led to a run in the seventh. Current Astros players are hitting .245 with a .714 OPS off Pomeranz in their careers.

As for who will start Games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Monday at Fenway Park, Farrell kept his cards face- down.

“Recent performances are going to have something to do with the roles as we now play with a greater sense of urgency,” Farrell said. “You do like the fact of a veteran presence, guys that have been in a postseason, guys who seemingly will pitch with more emotional control or control the running game or executing a pitch in a key moment that has maybe a tendency to shine through a little more.”

Farrell did not rule out using Chris Sale, who is starting Game 1, on short rest for Game 4.

“That would only be dependent on how Game 1 goes,” he said. “And I don’t think I can give you much more of an answer about that than that. That’s going to be solely dependent on how that first game unfolds.”

Given Farrell wants to prioritize postseason experience, that could favor Doug Fister, who had a 5.58 ERA this September but has allowed just three runs in each of his past two outings. Fister has pitched in the postseason four separate years and posted an impressive 2.60 ERA in nine outings, including a 1.78 ERA in eight starts.

Rick Porcello has been shaky all season, admitting as much last week when he gave up five runs in his final start of the season to finish with a 4.65 ERA. He allowed the most hits and home runs in the majors. Porcello has a career 5.66 ERA in the playoffs, including his five-run effort last year in a loss to the in Game 1 of the ALDS.

What other factors will Farrell use to decide the Games 3 and 4 starters?

“The way guys have pitched recently,” Farrell said. “The composition of our bullpen, how it supports the entire pitching staff, not just looking at it in two separate segments — rotation and bullpen. I think there’s got to be some complement there.”

Eduardo Rodriguez fell apart in his most recent start, giving up five runs to Houston in less than two innings. Given the Sox are short on versatile lefties in the bullpen, it seems likely Rodriguez would be moved to the ’pen.

“It wouldn’t be a shock to see a guy that’s been in our rotation finding his way into our bullpen,” Farrell said.

Roster decisions need to be made by tomorrow morning.

* The Providence Journal

What can Chris Sale expect in his first postseason start?

Tim Britton

BOSTON — Ron Darling remembers the way his first warmup pitch zoomed out of his hand that day at Shea Stadium in 1986. ’s first thought is of how the nerves made his legs feel heavy at Dodger Stadium in 1988. CC Sabathia realized quickly how thoroughly unprepared he was for that 2001 start in Seattle against a team that had won 116 games.

“I was 21 years old, man,” Sabathia said thinking back to his first playoff start. “Nothing prepares you for that.”

“It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe,” said Darling, TBS’ analyst for the playoffs. “It’s complete and utter joy and ecstasy on one part — and just cold-hearted fear on the other. It’s weird.”

In his eight seasons in the major leagues, Chris Sale has experienced almost everything the game can offer. He’s pitched as a starter and reliever, in an intense media market and a smaller one, as an up-and-coming prospect and as an established No. 1. He’s started the last two All-Star Games for the American League.

But he’s still never experienced what he will on Thursday at Minute Maid Park where, for the first time in his career, he’ll start a playoff game.

“It’s what I’m here for,” Sale said confidently on Saturday night, celebratory ski goggles on his head and alcohol spraying around him. Sale has made a habit this season of proving time and again what he was brought here for.

However, there is no pitcher who will tell you that a postseason game is the same as a regular-season one. Pitchers who have handled the playoff pressure well don’t deny that everything about it is novel.

“It’s different from any other experience I have had in a game,” said , who tossed seven shutout innings against the Red Sox in his first postseason start in last year’s American League Division Series. “It’s inevitable that there’s going to be excitement and anxiety. It’s just managing your emotions. Just because it feels different, it’s not something you run away from.”

Pitchers who didn’t handle the first start well can usually point to the magnitude of the moment. Cone, who didn’t survive the third inning in his playoff debut in that ’88 NLCS against the Dodgers, was not ready for the physical impact of his nerves — nor the emotional stress.

“There’s no way to prepare for it,” he said. “There is a different emotional nature. [Sale] is going to feel it. Until he goes through it, he won’t understand it.”

“The postseason is such a different monster,” said , Fox’s lead analyst and among the game’s greatest pitchers in October. “The regular season doesn’t prepare you anywhere close to what the postseason is like.”

Surely, some prior life experiences help, though, right? Darling talked about the building blocks leading up to a playoff start — like starting an All-Star game in Little League or a tournament game in college. After all, this is the guy who pitched in arguably the most famous college baseball game ever. And yet...

“Those things are building blocks to about a third of what you feel when you pitch in a major-league playoff game,” he said.

Does Sale’s experience in the All-Star Game help? Maybe in pitching with adrenaline?

“If you’re thinking about what the All-Star adrenaline does for one inning, that’s times three,” Smoltz said. “And then you’ve got to pitch that way throughout the game.”

Kluber said the adrenaline in the first inning doesn’t feel that different from the first inning of a regular- season start. It’s just that it never goes away after that. It’s that pitch-to-pitch intensity that makes the game feel so different.

“Everything in the postseason is a rally,” said Smoltz. “A walk’s a rally. First and second in the regular season is no big deal. Man on first in the postseason, you’d swear the bases were loaded.”

“Each pitch is almost like two pitches,” Darling said. “Your awareness of what to throw and when to throw it has to be twice as good as in the regular season.”

This is a critical point. Succeeding in the postseason isn’t simply about handling your nerves in a pressure situation. It’s also about adapting your gameplan to the context of the moment. Smoltz, who ran a 2.67 ERA over more than 200 postseason innings, explains it in terms of risk management.

“Regular season, 3-1 count, it’s fastball 90 percent of the time,” he said. “A 3-1 fastball in the postseason? Probably never. I took chances all the time in the regular season. I never took chances in the postseason.”

In Sale’s case, don’t expect those batting-practice fastballs he sneaks in to steal a strike or get a weak ground ball; they’re too risky in this environment.

Smoltz could calculate how successful he would be based on the aggressiveness of the opposing offense. For a guy who excelled in getting hitters to chase his splitter and slider, Smoltz feared discipline above all else.

“If hitters get more aggressive and guys want to be the hero, I’m going to be successful,” he said. “When you see the guy that’s willing to take a walk and pass on the baton, it makes himself and his team better. I didn’t like it.”

(True to form, Smoltz’s walk rate was higher in the playoffs than in the regular season. He didn’t give in.)

Houston’s discipline against Sale — this is a team that strikes out less than anyone in baseball — will be worth monitoring. While the left-hander owned the second-highest strike percentage among qualified starters this past season, he was in the middle of the pack in terms of pitches actually thrown in the strike zone. He relies on hitters expanding the zone against his deceptive mix.

Even saying all this, though — even pointing out that no experience in Sale’s career could possibly prepare him for Thursday’s emotional roller coaster, even mentioning that the Astros represent as stiff a challenge as a pitcher could face in his playoff debut, on the road to boot — Sale appears to have the tools to excel. Just ask his predecessors.

“He’s got tremendous stuff and tremendous command. He’s got three plus pitches, and he’s got a huge heart,” said , who’s watched Sale while broadcasting for the Orioles. “I think he’ll figure it out.”

“His demeanor and how he handled this environment speaks for itself. Boston’s not an easy place to come to your first year, and look what he’s done,” said Smoltz. “He has the absolute demeanor that will take him through a playoff game, as long as he doesn’t feel he needs to strike out 18 guys to win.”

“Chris is one of those rare guys where, when he has his stuff, he dictates the at-bats,” Darling said. “He’s built in that Smoltz mold, and I’m sure he’ll prove it this fall.”

Craig Kimbrel’s production leaves Red Sox grasping for explanation

Tim Britton

BOSTON — When confronted with the seemingly inexplicable, you can react in two ways. You can try your hardest to explain it anyway, to dive as deep into the phenomenon as possible and find plausible reasons for its occurrence.

Or you can shake your head and laugh.

When confronted with Craig Kimbrel’s 2017 season, assistant pitching coach dove in. Bannister mentioned Kimbrel’s musculature, his unique collagen and his body’s remarkable ability to quickly rebound from high-stress movements.

“He’s an incredible athlete. It’s like this super-stretchy rubber band,” Bannister said. “That allows him to do what he does.”

The rest of the Red Sox opted for the simpler approach.

This is what pitching coach did in late September, laughing while recalling the Kimbrel had thrown to strike out Baltimore’s Welington Castillo the night before.

“Oh, it was ridiculous,” he said. “The depth he gets at that velocity, that’s literally almost unheard of.”

Kimbrel’s done a lot of things this year you hadn’t heard about before. He finished one batter shy of striking out exactly half of the men he faced this season. He posted the fifth-best WHIP in history, behind only the likes of , and...Craig Kimbrel.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said first-base coach Ruben Amaro, Jr., who won a World Series with the Phillies on the back of a perfect Brad Lidge season. “To see this kind of dominance up close and personal, it’s a joy to have him out there.”

To be clear, this isn’t totally out of character for Kimbrel. The craziest part about this crazy-good season is that it might not even be his best, considering he went all of 2012 without allowing multiple hits in an appearance (and posting that fourth-best WHIP in history). But two down seasons with two different teams in 2015 and 2016 made it feel like the best of Kimbrel was behind him.

This year has altered that trajectory. The right-hander is healthy after a 2016 season that included knee surgery and a pesky injury to his middle finger, which made it difficult to command the ball. And that’s been the most obvious difference this season. Last year, Kimbrel walked 30 men — two shy of Rick Porcello’s total when Porcello threw 170 more innings. This year, he issued just 14 free passes, cutting his walk rate from 13.6 percent of opposing hitters to 5.5 percent.

“It’s night and day,” Willis said. “Last year was a sign of his toughness.”

“That’s the only thing that keeps him human,” Fox analyst and former Braves closer John Smoltz said of Kimbrel’s occasional command problems. “For Craig, with health and throwing strikes, he’s unbeatable.”

“I think he’s elevated his game even one notch higher from what I’ve seen in the past, and he was always very good,” said senior vice president Frank Wren, who was Atlanta’s general manager during most of Kimbrel’s tenure with the Braves, including that 2012 season.

Kimbrel’s high-90s fastball draws your initial attention. But what makes him so dominant is that he pairs it with one of the game’s most remarkable and unhittable pitches — that high-velocity curveball.

Bannister compared its movement to the hooks of Rich Hill and Drew Pomeranz — two starters who thrive throwing curves more than anyone else in baseball. It’s just that, well, “you take Craig and add about eight miles an hour onto it, and it’s the same experience,” Bannister said.

“His arm works in a way where it can produce that shape on that pitch at a velocity that nobody else can,” he continued. “Quite honestly, it’s a gift. If we could teach other guys to do it, we would. It’s such a dominating pitch.”

“I challenge you to find somebody who throws a curveball with that much break at 88. There’s nobody that’s going to throw like him,” said Matt Barnes, who throws his own spike curveball — at 81 mph. “As much as you can try to do the same stuff, his fastball is different, and it’s something you can’t teach, between the arm-slot and the spin and the rise and his curveball. As much as you can try, you can’t be like him.”

“As somebody who appreciates the art of pitching, just watching him warm up is awesome — the way the ball explodes out of his hand,” Blaine Boyer said. “The guy throws a 90 mph 12-to-6 curveball. I’ve never seen stuff like that. It’s unreal. He’s just a freak.”

Kimbrel is a freak was more valuable than any American League reliever this season and all but a handful of starters. A freak who showed himself capable of adapting to more aggressive usage in pitching in the eighth inning and in non- situations in tie games on the road. A freak ready to shine on the postseason stage and get past the Division Series for the first time in his career.

What’s the best part about watching Kimbrel?

“That you don’t have to,” Joe Kelly quipped, “because you know what’s going to happen.”

* The Springfield Republican

Kimbrel pitching more than 1 inning for Red Sox in ALDS 'on the table every day,' Farrell says

Christopher Smith

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager John Farrell has used closer Craig Kimbrel for more than three outs in seven different games this year.

Kimbrel record more than three outs in three different outings between May 30 and June 6.

He did it five times during the first half but just twice during the second half (July 15, Aug. 13).

Farrell won't hesitate using his dominant closer for more than one inning during the postseason.

The Red Sox and Astros open their best-of-five ALDS on Thursday at Minute Maid Park.

"We've used him as much as two full innings and while you don't necessarily want to do that all the time, one-plus innings are going to be on the table every day provided that the day before wasn't two innings or a high number of pitches," Farrell said before the Red Sox's workout at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

Kimbrel went 5-0 with a 1.43 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, .140 batting average against and 126 strikeouts compared to 14 walks in 69 innings this regular season. He converted 35-of-39 save opportunities.

Would Farrell use Kimbrel in the eighth inning and another reliever in the ninth if the eighth inning is the highest-leverage inning?

"It probably would depend upon who was used prior to that," Farrell said. "The addition of David Price, let's face it, you guys write about it frequently, it has changed the dynamic of our bullpen. Depending on where we are in the lineup, I feel like there probably two or three guys down there that are interchangeable at the highest leverage spots in the game right now. And that includes David being one of those."

Fister, Rodriguez, Porcello: Who will start Game 3 for Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros ALDS

Jen McCaffrey

BOSTON - Red Sox manager John Farrell announced on Tuesday that Drew Pomeranz would be Boston's Game 2 starter in Houston for the American League Division Series.

Aside from Chris Sale in Game 1, the rest of the rotation has yet to be set.

Farrell said a number things are affecting the tough decision on which starter should pitch Game 3 back at Fenway Park on Sunday.

"The way guys have pitched recently, the composition of our bullpen, how it supports the entire pitching staff, not just looking at it in two separate segments - rotation and bullpen," Farrell said. "I think there's got to be some complement there."

Eduardo Rodriguez pitched well in September, but struggled mightily against the Astros in a start last weekend, giving up five runs in just 1 2/3 innings. In four September starts leading up to that, though, Rodriguez posted a 1.78 ERA with 30 strikeouts and eight walks.

Rick Porcello had a rough season on the mound for Boston posting a 4.65 ERA and allowed a career-high 38 homers over 33 starts. In five September starts, he posted a 5.93 ERA, allowing five runs in 5 2/3 innings to Toronto last week.

Doug Fister has pitched the best of late, especially since making a few delivery adjustments before his final two starts. The right-hander posted a dominant four-start stretch from mid-August to early September, allowing two or fewer earned runs while pitching at least seven innings. He ran into some trouble in mid- September, but allowed three runs in each of his final two starts, including one against the Astros in the final series.

"There are two scenarios in place that will be revealed at the appropriate time and that means probably more internal discussion is needed here," Farrell said. "I don't think Game 3 starter is going to hinge upon winning or losing Games 1 or 2."

Rodriguez has never pitched in the postseason and Porcello has a 5.66 ERA over nine playoff appearances, including three starts. Last season, he allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings in Game 1 of the ALDS in Cleveland.

Fister has by far the best postseason numbers of the three. In nine games, eight starts, he's posted a 2.60 ERA, with his most recent start, seven scoreless innings, coming for the Nationals in NLDS in 2014.

"You do like the fact of a veteran presence, guys that have been in a postseason, guys who seemingly will pitch with more emotional control, or control the running game, or executing a pitch in a key moment, that has maybe a tendency to shine through a little more," Farrell said.

Farrell did say that while Rodriguez and Porcello could be used for both starting and relieving roles, Fister would only be used as a starter.

With Sale starting Game 1 on Thursday, there remains the possibility he could come back on three days' rest to pitch Sunday in Boston.

"That would only be dependent on how Game 1 goes," Farrell said. "And I don't think I can give you much more of an answer about that than that."

The Red Sox postseason roster is due to the league on Thursday morning before Game 1. It's likely all five starters will be on it, who starts Game 3 remains to be seen.

Could David Price start for Boston Red Sox in ALDS? 'At this point, no,' John Farrell says

Christopher Smith

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager John Farrell announced Chris Sale as his Game 1 starter and Drew Pomeranz as his Game 2 starter.

Beyond that, he hasn't made any decisions. Eduardo Rodriguez, Doug Fister and Rick Porcello all remain candidates for Game 3.

What about David Price?

Price has hurled 8 2/3 scoreless innings over five relief outings since returning from the disabled list. He has struck out 13 and walked two.

Farrell was asked at his media availability today if he could foresee any circumstance where Price would start a game.

"At this point, no," Farrell said.

It would be very surprising if Price started at any point this postseason because Farrell already has explained briefer relief outings are better for his health right now.

Farrell later added, "No, he's not going to start."

Price has the ability to provide length (and dominate) through the middle innings. That gives Farrell the luxury to pull a starter early if needed.

Price has shown he can bridge the gap from the starter to setup man Addison Reed and closer Craig Kimbrel.

He has pitched two outings of two or more innings. He also showed he can pitch three times in four days (Sept. 27, 29, 30).

"I think we've been seeing it," Farrell said about how Price will be used. "It's going to be dependent on how many pitches he's thrown the day before. What we've seen is a rapid bounce-back. Two innings and 24 pitches and he comes right back the next day for a high-leverage inning. I don't think we could ask anything more with David Price from a physical standpoint the way he's handled and embraced this role. It's been outstanding."

Red Sox ALDS: Nunez likely to make roster, John Farrell wouldn't rule out using him at DH

Christopher Smith

BOSTON -- Eduardo Nunez (knee) took six at-bats against Roenis Elias in a simulated game here at Fenway Park on Monday.

He's likely to be healthy enough to make the Red Sox's ALDS roster.

"Yesterday was an encouraging day; everything points to him being available in the series," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

Nunez said he didn't feel any pain in his knee when he swung.

He'll do sliding drills among other activities today.

Farrell said Monday was much improved from when Nunez ran the bases in Cincinnati on Sept. 24.

The Red Sox still are evaluating whether Nunez will be able to play the field. If so, he might play third base in Game 2 with lefty Dallas Keuchel starting for the Astros, Farrell said.

"Getting his bat back in the lineup will be a plus but initially it would be at those two positions: second and third," Farrell said. "At this point, we kind of feel like that's the best defensive capability and range right now."

Could he start at DH?

"I wouldn't rule it out completely but I like the fact the way Hanley's swung the bat over the last five, seven, eight games," Farrell said. "That's been a very good development on our part."

Pomeranz named Red Sox Game 2 starter; Astros' Verlander, Keuchel scheduled for Games 1 and 2

Christopher Smith

BOSTON -- Drew Pomeranz will start Game 2 of the ALDS for the Boston Red Sox against the Houston Astros on Friday at Minute Maid Park, manager John Farrell announced today.

Pomeranz pitched well in both his regular season starts vs. the Astros this year. The lefty allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings June 16 at Minute Maid Park.

He earned the win here at Fenway Park on Saturday vs. the Astros, allowing just one run in 6-plus innings.

Farrell already announced Chris Sale will start Game 1 on Thursday. He hasn't made any decisions beyond Game 2. Doug Fister, Eduardo Rodriguez and Rick Porcello all are candidates for Game 3.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced Justin Verlander will start Game 1 and Dallas Keuchel will pitch Game 2.

Game 1: LHP Chris Sale vs. RHP Justin Verlander.

Game 2: LHP Drew Pomeranz vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel.

* The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Red Sox Journal: Farrell names Pomeranz Game 2 starter

Bill Ballou

BOSTON — It’s nice to know that in their 117th year of business, the Red Sox can still make history.

It will happen later this week in Houston when Drew Pomeranz follows Chris Sale to the mound to start Game 2 of the American League Division Series. Boston, which played in the first modern postseason series ever in 1903, has never started two lefties back to back in any of its previous 33 playoff series.

John Farrell named Pomeranz as his Game 2 starter before Tuesday’s workout at Fenway Park. Combined, Sale and Pomeranz were 34-14 during the regular season. Pomeranz has never made a playoff start in his career. He worked in relief twice for Boston in last year’s postseason series with the Indians.

Dallas Keuchel, another lefty, will be Houston’s starter in Game 2.

Boston’s starter for Game 3, which will be played at Fenway Park on Sunday, has yet to be announced but it will not be David Price. Farrell ruled him out of the rotation on Tuesday. That leaves Doug Fister, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez to choose from.

Farrell said that he might use Porcello and Rodriguez in both roles, starter and reliever, but would not use Fister that way. That seemed odd, since Fister started 15 games but also relieved in three during the regular season.

“There are two scenarios in play,” Farrell said, adding that the Game 3 starter does not hinge on what happens in Game 2.

Nunez optimistic

It appears likely that Eduardo Nunez will be on the playoff roster.

He had a good day Monday under simulated game conditions and, according to Farrell, “Everything points to him being available in this series.”

Nunez seemed equally optimistic, saying, “It was great. We had a simulated game against [Roenis] Elias; I hit him well. My knee was doing well. I ran the bases with good intensity — it went well.”

Farrell added, “If he’s in pain, he’s not doing the things he did [Monday].”

Nunez is recovering from a right knee sprain and has played only seven innings since Sept. 6.

Assuming that Nunez is on the playoff roster, he will likely see most of his playing time in the field rather than at designated hitter, Farrell said. The Sox liked the way Hanley Ramirez swung the bat in the final days of the season and plan to employ him as their DH.

Ramirez finished the season with a modest five-game hitting streak. He was 6-for-18 (.333) with three RBI, two doubles and a homer.

By the numbers

Although they closed the regular season with a four-game series, there is very little institutional familiarity with the Red Sox and Astros.

The teams have never met in the playoffs before and have only played 43 games in the regular season. Boston leads the series, 27-16. The Sox and Houston played only nine interleague games while the Astros were in the National League, that spanning 16 seasons from 1997 through 2012.

Boston leads, 20-14, since Houston shifted to the American League in 2013.

The Sox lead at Minute Maid Park, 12-9, and at Fenway Park by 15-7.

Verlander to start Game 1

Justin Verlander will oppose Sale in Game 1, as expected. Verlander has been sensational since being traded to Houston by Detroit. He was 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in an Astros uniform.

“It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen him — I think back in April,” Farrell said. “Since he’s gone to Houston he’s made some adjustments to his attack plan, his repertoire, and he has controlled the running game better.”

Verland has been strangely mediocre against the Red Sox, at least in terms of wins and losses. He is 5-5, 2.88 in 17 career regular-season starts against Boston and 0-1 in one postseason start. Verlander pitched beautifully in that game, though, which was on Oct. 15, 2013 in the ALCS at Detroit. He allowed just one run in eight innings but got the loss in Boston’s 1-0 victory.

Pedroia eager to play

Dustin Pedroia is “chomping at the bit” to get to get going with the Division Series. He has been nursing a sore left knee and saw limited action in the final days of the regular season. The Sox will use Pedroia “as often as possible,” Farrell said.

Pedroia has not been a great postseason player for Boston, at least not offensively. He is hitting .242 in 47 playoff games and has not hit a postseason home run since Oct. 19, 2008 at Tampa Bay. That homer temporarily gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the top of the first in Game 7 of the ALCS.

Boston eventually lost that game, 3-1, with Price getting the save for the Rays.

* RedSox.com

'What I'm here for': Sale set for October stage

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- When ace Chris Sale steps to the mound at Minute Maid Park for the bottom of the first inning in Game 1 of the American League Division Series presented by Doosan against the Astros on Thursday afternoon, he will experience the moment he's been waiting for since he was traded to the Red Sox 10 months ago.

Come to think of it, Sale has been waiting for this a lot longer than 10 months. One of the game's elite starting pitchers for the last six years, the lanky lefty has never taken the mound in a postseason game.

Game Date Time Matchup TV Gm 1 Oct. 5 4 p.m. BOS @ HOU MLB Network Gm 2 Oct. 6 2 p.m. BOS @ HOU FS1 Gm 3 Oct. 8 TBD HOU @ BOS FS1 *Gm 4 Oct. 9 TBD HOU @ BOS FS1 *Gm 5 Oct. 11 TBD BOS @ HOU FS1 *- If necessary | All times ET

"I'm 28 years old, so I've been waiting for this about 23 years," said Sale. "This has been a long time coming. A lot of hard work went into this. It's a long season. We had a lot of guys put everything they had on the field the entire season. To have this opportunity right here, it's the best." And when Sale takes the ball against the Astros, he hopes to be at his best. "It's what I'm here for," Sale said. When Sale is at his best, he can put an entire team on his back if he can just get a run or two to work with. Boston's best chance at a deep October run this year is for Sale to be magnificent just about every time he takes the ball. Sure, it's a lot of pressure for one pitcher. But it's the type of challenge he relishes.

"I think the way he's handled his first season in Boston gives us every reason to believe the added adrenaline will be channeled in the right way," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We couldn't have asked for more from a player to come in from another organization through the trade that he was brought here with the expectations, and he's handled them fabulously with the way he's stayed focused in doing his job."

In 32 starts this season, Sale was 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA and 308 strikeouts. Across the board, his numbers are dazzling. Only Indians ace Corey Kluber can compare in the AL this season. And now, everyone will see if Sale can reach even another gear in the postseason.

"I don't know if it's going to increase velocity or anything like that," said Farrell. "I do know this: He's a tremendous athlete, so the added adrenaline that's going to be present, I feel like he has the ability to harness and channel it in the right way. He's that good of an athlete."

The Astros, a loaded offensive unit, will be a tough test for Sale. In two career starts at Minute Maid Park, Sale is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA. He has always pitched well against Houston, going 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA in six starts.

But none of that will mean anything on Thursday. It will all come down to how well Sale can execute in the biggest test to date of his career.

"They're a good ballclub," said Sale. "We know what we're getting into, so it should make for a fun playoff series."

Farrell: Nunez should be available for ALDS

Ian Browne and Quinn Roberts

BOSTON -- The Red Sox are feeling optimistic about Eduardo Nunez's availability for the American League Division Series presented by Doosan against the Astros, which starts Thursday at Minute Maid Park.

"Everything points to him being available in this series," said Red Sox manager John Farrell.

The valuable right-handed hitter and versatile defender has played just once since Sept. 9 due to a PCL sprain in his right knee, but he's had a couple of productive work days since the regular season ended.

Nunez played in a sim game at Fenway Park on Monday, and he did some more baserunning on Tuesday which included sliding.

"As a comparison, from the baserunning in Cincinnati [nine days ago], it was a marked improvement if you're comparing those two dates," Farrell said. "He had six at-bats live against Roenis Elias yesterday to get some kind of game speed to him."

The hope is that Nunez is mobile enough to play defense. In particular, Farrell would like to start him at third base in Game 2 against lefty Dallas Keuchel.

Nunez could DH in Game 1, but Farrell was encouraged by the way Hanley Ramirez swung the bat down the stretch and he could go in that direction instead.

Pedroia feels rejuvenated Dustin Pedroia had the final two days of the regular season off, and when you add in the three additional days leading up to Thursday's Game 1, nobody has benefited more from the time down than the second baseman, who has dealt with a problematic left knee all season.

"The last couple of days off have helped him," said Farrell. "We know that this is a little bit of a situation that's a work in progress. I don't anticipate it really changing. I do know this: He is chomping at the bit to begin this series and the postseason, and he'll be out there every available day."

Park factors similar While the Red Sox look forward to playing at home for Game 3, the fact that Minute Maid Park has a similar layout to Fenway will make evaluations for Farrell a little easier going into the series.

"The parks are somewhat similar to be honest with you," said Farrell. "Short left-field porch. Some defensive alignments may resemble Fenway or vice versa because we see their defensive alignment as they line up against us similar here as when we went to Minute Maid. I don't think that the ballpark dimensions will be an overriding factor in terms of a match-up."

Pomeranz to follow Sale in ALDS rotation

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- Though Red Sox manager John Farrell's full rotation plans are still evolving for the upcoming American League Division Series presented by Doosan against the Astros, Drew Pomeranz was announced on Tuesday as the Game 2 starter. Lefty ace Chris Sale had already been in place for Thursday's Game 1, and he will face former winner Justin Verlander.

Pomeranz, who matched Sale with 17 wins this season, will be opposed by another former Cy Young Award winner in left-hander Dallas Keuchel on Friday.

It was a breakout season for Pomeranz, who had a 3.32 ERA and a 9.0 K/9 rate. Though he struggled in his penultimate regular-season outing, giving up five runs in two innings against the Blue Jays on Sept. 25, he bounced back with a strong six innings against the Astros on Saturday, giving up one run over six innings in a 6-3 victory.

The only reason Farrell waited a couple of days before announcing his Game 2 starter is because he wanted to make sure Pomeranz didn't need more rest. He will start Game 2 on five days of rest.

"Just wanted him to have a day of recovery and just talk with him briefly after that on that possibility of one [extra day] versus three extra days. So Friday is his day," Farrell said.

Farrell is still having internal discussions about how to proceed with his pitching for Games 3 and 4 at Fenway Park. The manager maintained his prior stance that David Price will remain a reliever in series. Eduardo Rodriguez, Rick Porcello and Doug Fister are all candidates for Game 3.

"There are two scenarios in place that will be revealed at the appropriate time, and that means probably more internal discussion is needed here," said Farrell. "I don't think our Game 3 starter is going to hinge upon winning or losing Games 1 or 2."

It's possible Sale will pitch Game 4 (if necessary) on three days' rest.

"That would only be dependent on how Game 1 goes," Farrell said. "And I don't think I can give you much more of an answer about that than that. That's going to be solely dependent on how that first game unfolds."

If Rodriguez started Game 3, it would make three straight lefties in Boston's rotation.

"No, it wouldn't give [us] pause, it wouldn't prevent us from doing anything -- but again I think what I tried to explain earlier is we are trying to determine what is the best combination of our pitching staff and how does that play out and putting certain guys in certain roles," said Farrell. "It wouldn't be a shock to see a guy that's been in our rotation finding his way into our bullpen."

* ESPNBoston.com

'October Ready' Red Sox must show they learned from 2016 sweep

Scott Lauber

BOSTON -- The slogan on the shirts that were draped over each chair in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse Tuesday could serve as both a mantra and a reminder for the players who occupied the room.

"October Ready."

A year ago, the Red Sox were far from ready for what they encountered in October. From the boisterous crowds in Cleveland to the detail of the Indians' game plan and just the sheer magnitude of the moment, they were overwhelmed in a three-game sweep of an American League Division Series that ended almost as soon as it began.

Heath Hembree and the rest of the Red Sox head into this year's ALDS matchup pledging to be prepared. Charles Krupa/AP Photo In particular, it was the least experienced of the Red Sox who seemed to be impacted the most. Mookie Betts went 2-for-10 in the series, Jackie Bradley Jr. was 1-for-10 with seven strikeouts, Sandy Leon 1-for- 10 with five strikeouts, and Xander Bogaerts 3-for-12, with two of his hits coming in the final game.

Looking back, manager John Farrell calls it "an eye-opener." But the Red Sox were humbled, plain and simple, right from the very first inning. And 12 months later, with the dawning of another Division Series, we're about to find out if they learned any lessons.

"I think we learned that it's the same game. Don't make it what it's not," Betts said. "Just go out and have fun and enjoy the moment."

But this year's showdown with the Houston Astros also could have wider-ranging repercussions.

The Red Sox responded to last October's disappointment by trading for ace lefty Chris Sale. It was a big, bold move that a team makes when it knows its window to win a World Series is wide open for only another few years.

After getting swept by the Indians, the Red Sox chalked it up mostly to a case of young players finding out what the postseason is all about. Plenty of championship teams went through the experience. To wit: The 2008 won the World Series one year after being swept in the Division Series by the .

But every year the Red Sox come up short is another year closer to free agency for Sale and difficult decisions about how far to go in talks of contract extensions for Betts, Bogaerts and the rest of that young core. The have seen their window get narrower after three Division Series disappointments in five years.

If the Red Sox are able to advance to at least the AL Championship Series, they will have answered some of the doubts about their ability to close out an opponent. It might also finally cement some job security for Farrell, who has one year left on his contract and could be either brought back as a lame duck or replaced if the Sox fizzle again.

Farrell has no choice, then, but to believe his young players learned from last year. But when Game 1 begins Thursday in Houston, they will have to prove it.

"I think the fact that we experienced it last year, in retrospect, it serves as a stepping stone hopefully that a lot of the firsts are out of the way, including disappointment," Farrell said. "Knowing that disappointment, what it felt like, the bitter taste it leaves, we felt like that was added incentive as we approached spring training. So, we become what our experiences give us. We're eager and really looking forward to starting this one off."

If there was a snapshot of that 2016 playoff experience, it might be Betts' first career postseason at-bat.

The Red Sox actually had Indians starter on the ropes in the first inning of Game 1, with Dustin Pedroia lining a leadoff and Brock Holt following with a single. Up stepped Betts, runner-up in the AL MVP race, with a chance to silence the crowd at Progressive Field.

"It was a pretty big plate appearance. I think I struck out," Betts recalled, correctly. "I don't know if it was bases loaded or second and third or what it was. But I just remember I put too much pressure. Just have to relax and be who I am."

Like last year, the Sox will be starting the Division Series on the road. And they insist they won't be quite so unnerved Thursday night when they step onto the field at Minute Maid Park.

"The fact that they've gone through the firsts of the media attention to maybe a heightened environment when you get on the road, those are all going to be [things] that we can draw upon," Farrell said. "We fully expect it to be a loud, noisy and unfriendly environment when we get down to Houston. That's all part of those firsts.

"But how we do the simple things, and in that environment particularly, how we communicate, how we execute our fundamentals, this is a matter of just making sure that we do the things that we've been trained to do as consistently as possible. Not asking them to do anything more, but just make sure that the basics and the simple things inside this game are executed to the highest abilities."

Sale can go a long way to helping the Red Sox calm down. If the ace lefty is able to mute the Astros' high- powered offense, it also will quiet the crowd. Last year, Rick Porcello gave up one run in the second inning and three in the third, putting the Red Sox at an early disadvantage.

The Red Sox also can take comfort in having just seen the Astros in a four-game series at Fenway Park to end the regular season. Houston pounded them for 12 runs last Thursday night, but after a one-run loss Friday night, the Sox rebounded to win 6-3 Saturday and clinch the AL East title.

"We've just got to go out there and try to win," Bogaerts said. "Last year, we didn't win. [The Indians] were the American League champs for a reason. They played good. They were rolling. We couldn't seem to catch a break. This is a new year, a different team, a different lineup we’re throwing out there. Anything can happen -- this is baseball."

Said Betts: "Anytime you can get an opportunity to play in the postseason, you have to take advantage of it. Some people play years and years and they never make it."

And some teams make the playoffs year after year and go nowhere.

It's time to find out if the Red Sox are one of those teams.

Red Sox optimistic Eduardo Nunez will be available for ALDS vs. Astros

Scott Lauber

BOSTON -- Last year, Eduardo Nunez was pushed into a postseason pinch-hitting role for the because of a late-season injury.

The Boston Red Sox don't believe that will be the case this season.

Although his role has yet to be defined for the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros, both Nunez and manager John Farrell are optimistic the versatile infielder will be included on the postseason roster despite a right knee injury that has sidelined him for all but five innings since Sept. 9.

"Everything points to him being available in the series," Farrell said Tuesday.

Versatile Red Sox infielder Eduardo Nunez suffered a sprained posterior collateral ligament in his right knee Sept. 9 and has played just five innings since. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Nunez got six at-bats Monday in a simulated game against left-hander Roenis Elias and ran the bases with greater intensity. He went through additional drills -- including sliding -- during the Red Sox's workout Tuesday at Fenway Park.

"That was the biggest thing -- swinging and getting out of the box," Nunez said. "I don't feel anything at this time."

Nunez sprained the posterior collateral ligament in his right knee Sept. 9. He attempted to return Sept. 25, but he aggravated the injury on a swing and missed the season's final six games. Farrell said Nunez has been fitted for a "more substantial brace" that has created more stability for his knee.

"I think it's translated into some confidence," Farrell said. "The position he got himself in when he reaggravated it with that swing, he feels like he's in a better place to transfer that energy from his feet in the ground through the rotation of the swing and begin to break toward first."

It's possible Nunez could start at third base in Game 2 against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, according to Farrell. It is notable, however, that lefty-swinging rookie Rafael Devers batted .319 (15-for-47) against lefties after being called up from Triple-A in late July.

Nunez also could be used at second base should Dustin Pedroia need extra rest between games. Pedroia has been dealing with inflammation and soreness in his surgically repaired left knee and was given periodic rest throughout September after coming off the disabled list.

Pedroia has started at second base more than three days in a row only once since July.

The Red Sox also named Drew Pomeranz as their Game 2 starter, following ace lefty Chris Sale in Game 1. Pomeranz went 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA and gave up one run in six innings last Saturday against the Astros at Fenway Park.

Farrell said the Red Sox have not yet decided on starting pitchers for Game 3 or 4. The choices will come down to Rick Porcello, Doug Fister and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

* WEEI.com

Eduardo Nunez appears ready to go for ALDS

Rob Bradford

The questions regarding whether or not Eduardo Nunez would be available for the American League Division Series seem out the window. Now comes the uncertainty to as to how the Red Sox might use him.

After going through workouts Monday and Tuesday without incident, Red Sox manager John Farrell and Nunez both offered an optimistic outlook when it came to not worrying about the infielder's injured right nee.

"I think yesterday, if he's in pain he's not doing the things he did yesterday," Farrell said. "So whether it was change in direction, simulating game-like at-bats, and explosive baserunning, that was encouraging, very encouraging yesterday."

"It was great," said Nunez of his Monday workout. "We had a simulated game against [Roenis] Elias I hit him well. My knee was doing well. I ran the bases with good intensity. It went well."

Nunez was back on the field Tuesday, fielding ground balls at third while also practicing sliding with his new knee brace. Along with an adjustments to his cleats, Nunez has gone a long way to not stressing that a reoccurence of the knee injury will crop up.

"It's a more substantial brace. He feels more stable in it and I think it's translated into some confidence," Farrell said. "The position he got himself in when he reaggravated it with that swing, he feels like he's in a better place to transfer that energy from his feet in the ground through the rotation of the swing and begin to break toward first. Those are the things we put him through yesterday. He's come out of this not only feeling better physically but I think increased confidence as well."

As for how the Red Sox will utilize Nunez for the ALDS, there are multiple possibilities.

Farrell suggested that Nunez wouldn't be taking Hanley Ramirez's spot at designated hitter, although the righty hitter has some of the best success against Houston Game 1 starter Justin Verlander of any of the Red Sox hitters (5-for-15, .333). One possibility would be to start Nunez at third base in the place of Rafael Devers, who did manage at least one hit and one RBI in each of his last three games.

Nunez would almost certainty find some spot in Game 2 with lefty Dallas Keuchel on the mound for Houston. Keuchel, who has limited lefty hitters to a .145 batting average this season, has had success against first baseman Mitch Moreland (1-for-13), so perhaps Nunez could slide into the DH spot for that second game, putting Ramirez at first.

Drew Pomeranz will pitch Game 2. But then who?

Rob Bradford

The way Drew Pomeranz pitched against the Astros Saturday, it would have been a shock if John Farrell didn't slot him in behind Chris Sale for Game 2 of the best-of-five American League Division Series. So when the Red Sox manager announced Pomeranz would be getting that start, Friday in Houston, few were surprised.

What happens after that will be the real intrigue.

"There are two scenarios in place that will be revealed at the appropriate time and that means probably more internal discussion is needed here," Farrell said. "I don't think Game 3 starter is going to hinge upon winning or losing Games 1 or 2."

Speaking to the media prior to his team's workout at Fenway Park Tuesday afternoon, Farrell explained he waiting to identify the Game 3 starter. He did, however, offer a few clues. First of all, it won't be David Price. Secondly, it appears as though what transpired over the four-game set against the Astros at Fenway Park will be taken into consideration.

"A number of things," the manager said when describing what was going into the Game 3 starter decision. "The way guys have pitched recently. The composition of our bullpen, how it supports the entire pitching staff, not just looking at it in two separate segments – rotation and bullpen. I think there’s got to be some complement there. The four games that we talked about during the series, that gives a little bit of first-hand knowledge and recent knowledge and how we might use guys to the best of our abilities or their abilities to take advantage of that. Without revealing what the roster is, because we’re not set yet, we had a further meeting here this morning on some things and we’ll continue to do so in through tomorrow. Part of that is meeting with the individual guys and who will be active and who will not be. We’ve had so many contributors this year and yet there’s going to be some guys left off that I would expect there will be some disappointment. But we’re about putting the 25 guys together that we feel are giving us the best chance right now."

Farrell went on to say, "It wouldn't be a shock to see a guy that's been in our rotation finding his way into our bullpen." He then said of the remaining starters, only Doug Fister wouldn't be a candidate to serve as a reliever.

Where that leaves us is with the likelihood that Fister will get the call, with either Eduardo Rodriguez or Rick Porcello possibly pitching Game 4 and the one that doesn't serving as an innings-eater out of the bullpen.

Fister has a 1.78 ERA in eight postseason starts, and pitched well during his Friday night outing againt the Astros. With the off day after Game 2, there would seem to be the opportunity to use Price as a backup plan for Game 3 if things start going the wrong way, as was the case in Fister's most recent start.

As for Pomeranz, he has allowed just two runs to Houston over 12 1/3 innings during two starts this season. The last time out, the lefty gave up one run on three hits over six innings.

"Knowing there was going to be the possibility of one extra day or additional days, just wanted him to have a day of recovery and just talk with him briefly on that possibility of one to three extra days," Farrell said of Pomeranz. "So Friday is his day."

* CSNNE.com

Red Sox and Astros have similar rosters, but very different paths and leaders

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — Early on, the Astros’ rebuilding project sounded like a machine that would just pump out affordable big leaguers. Free agency would be a last resort, and trading prospects would be a sin. Homegrown or bust.

Why then, on the eve of their American League Division Series opener, do the Red Sox and Astros appear to have similar roster builds?

The Red Sox have Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi. The Astros have Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman. Both club traded for star pitchers, Chris Sale and Justin Verlander.

Some veterans, some kids. Some free-agent signings, some prospects dealt away.

That sounds strange, because the Red Sox and Astros are run by polar opposites.

That’s not to say Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski ignores the input of statistics beyond, say, RBIs. That’s not to say Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow completely eschews empirical observations in his decision-making process.

But there are no baseball heads further apart philosophically. For example: Dombrowski, who's been in the game 40 years, relies on a small army of scouts, and is known to call his scouts directly. Luhnow, a businessman turned baseball executive who maintains a small inner circle, is restructuring the pro scouting department. He's pivoting to video and other information streams that require fewer games to be attended.

So in the big picture, did Luhnow’s Astros, labeled as an experiment for so long, wind up just like every other team — just like Dombrowski’s Red Sox?

Luhnow said he didn't know the Sox front office well enough to make a comparison. But the roster likeness rings true for him.

“Yeah, I think they are similar,” Luhnow said. “The Red Sox spent a large part of the last 10 years building up an elite farm system, which is what we’ve been trying to do for the last six or seven years. Add they’ve been consistently ranked as one of the best systems in baseball. We’ve been consistently ranked that the last few years.

“And they went out, made a big trade using their farm system to get Sale. And we’ve used our farm system to get Verlander. So there are commonalities there. We both dipped into the free-agent pool, when necessary. So yeah, there’s definitely some common themes.”

Actions and look (or thematic looks) are two different matters. The Sox and Astros appeared somewhat similar right now. They’ve acted differently, and probably will continue to.

For one, the Sox farm-building Luhnow referred to took place under former general manager , and Theo Epstein before him.

Dombrowski is Dealer Dave. Go down the list of deals, but you already know them: Sale, Craig Kimbrel, a bunch of other relievers. That’s from just his time in Boston.

Luhnow, meanwhile, is reticent to deal prospects, to the point his players complained at this year’s non- waiver trade deadline when no move was made. He has one signature trade under his belt now. Even that Verlander deal — completed in August at the waiver deadline for prospects Franklin Perez, outfielder and catcher — is hard to justify when it comes to an isolated evaluation of player value.

"The math doesn’t necessarily ever work when you’re trading for an elite player, trying to accomplish short term goals,” Luhnow said. “You give up a lot of future value, and we did in this deal. We were pretty disciplined about looking at all of our alternatives and trying to pick the deal that we give up the least amount of future value for the most amount of present value. And I think we were able to do that. But you know it goes beyond math when you’re trying to win a championship in the short term.”

The math also becomes more complicated when you have a good team, and the only way to upgrade in a meaningful way is to obtain an elite player. Your baseline player isn’t a replacement player, it’s someone better.

Dombrowski's not one to express a feeling the math for a star player he acquired might not work.

Sure, the Astros and Sox have both spent some money. The former has spent very little, the latter a ton.

The $217 million contract David Price received in Boston is more than four times greater than the single largest free-agent deal Luhnow has given out, a $52 million deal for outfielder Josh Reddick before this season.

Nonetheless, the Astros touted building from within for so long, particularly in the early years when Luhnow took over, that people might have expected the team to have fewer outside additions. Luhnow said the number of homegrown players on the Astros (whose playoff roster has not been announced yet) is about what he expected. Even if that's not the case, his process is still unfolding.

Luhnow did always plan to add via free agency and trades, and the moves he has made in those arenas are much more reserved compared to those Dombrowski has made. They're less risky, too.

“We did tell people from the beginning when the time is right, the payroll will increase,” Luhnow said. "We’re going to make trades and we’re going to sign free agents. But until you start doing that, nobody believes you. And especially because we hadn’t really done it, we had such a low payroll for a couple of those years. I mean, I understand the skepticism. We tried to communicate our plan as best we could. I think it was, once we started to do it for real, the people started to realize that was part of it.”

The Astros didn’t entirely reinvent the wheel. Perhaps too many people thought they would as a product of their own marketing. A lot of current Astros stars were in the organization when Luhnow took over.

But what they're doing is different from the Red Sox.

Forget the roster snapshot. A better way to judge the Sox and Astros roster-building strategies is sustainability.

See if, in five years, Luhnow’s farm system keeps pumping out players as free agents leave. See if he gives in and trades away more prospects with greater frequency.

See if, in five years, the Sox are rebuilding like the Tigers, Dombrowski’s former team, are today.

Even if both franchises are still competitive half a decade from now, it may be for different reasons. Dombrowski’s payroll grants him freedom to operate with less efficiency.

For nine figures, Dallas Keuchel could look great in a Sox uniform in 2019.

John Farrell must be liberal in usage of Craig Kimbrel

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — There was a point during the season when Sox manager John Farrell turned to Craig Kimbrel in eighth-inning jams, for five-out saves. That stopped, out of concern for workload.

What Farrell did not want to do after that — and what Kimbrel ostensibly did not want to do either — was have Kimbrel throw in the eighth inning and not the ninth, even if the game was on the line in the eighth.

Kimbrel was the closer, and closers get saves. Saves are not given out in the eighth inning.

Now we’re in the playoffs. Saves should go out the window. And if Addison Reed is in trouble with two on in the eighth inning and none out and the heart of the order up, it’s going to be difficult for Farrell to justify reserving Kimbrel for the ninth, or for a four-out save.

"Without the intent of using him in the ninth?” Farrell said when asked Tuesday if he’d go to Kimbrel in the eighth. “It would probably depend upon who was used prior to that. The addition of David Price, let's face it, you guys write about it frequently, it's changed the dynamic in our bullpen. Depending on where we are in the lineup, I feel like there's probably two or three guys down there who are interchangeable at the highest-leverage spots of the game right now. That includes David being one of those.”

Kimbrel, however, is not one of those guys. He is, per FanGraphs, the second most valuable reliever in the majors this season, behind the Dodgers’ . Price may be awesome. He’s looked it so far. Reed’s dominant too.

But Kimbrel is a different weapon, and by far the most valuable Farrell has.

Clearly, an expanded role for Kimbrel is on the table. But Farrell must be willing to remove Kimbrel from the ninth inning entirely if need be.

“We’ve used him as much as two full innings,” Farrell said. “And while you don’t necessarily want to do that all the time, one-plus innings are going to be on the table every day — provided that the day before wasn’t two innings or a high number of pitches.”

Here are some notes from Tuesday's workout at Fenway Park:

Eduardo Nunez’s day Tuesday included sliding. He’s trending in the right direction. His right knee is in a brace and his spikes have been modified so that he doesn’t get caught coming out of the batter’s box, which is how he most recently aggravated his ligament injury. Nunez faced live pitching from Roenis Elias on Monday at Fenway Park. As long as his workout goes well Wednesday, look for him to be on the roster and then potentially start at third base against lefty Dallas Keuchel in Game 2.

Dustin Pedroia’s situation still sounds up in the air. There’s little doubt he’s out there to begin the ALDS, but it’s a question of how much he can play and how limited he'll be. Farrell said Pedroia has been very communicative about how he feels.“The last couple of days off have helped him,” Farrell said. “We know that this is a little bit of … a work in progress. Don’t anticipate it really changing. I do know this: He is chomping at the bit to begin this series and the postseason, and he’ll be out there every available day.”

Don’t expect Hanley Ramirez to sit. “I like the fact of the way Hanley was swinging the bat over the last five to seven or eight games,” Farrell said when asked if Nunez could see some time at DH. “That’s been a very good development on our part.”

Game 1 starter Chris Sale threw a bullpen Monday. That’s one day earlier than he would typically throw a side session going into a start, affording him more rest. He has eight days in between in his final outing of the regular season and Thursday's ALDS opener.