Astros vs Red Sox Game 4 Odds, Picks, and Probable Pitchers
By Chris Amberley in MLB Baseball
Updated: October 19, 2021 at 5:56 am EDTPublished:
- The Houston Astros visit the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALCS on Tuesday (October 19th, 8:07 pm ET)
- Boston will give the ball to Nick Pivetta (1-0, 3.12 ERA), while Houston will counter with Zack Greinke (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
Can anyone slow down the Boston Red Sox bats? Boston returned to Fenway in Game 3 of the ALCS and followed up exactly where they left off versus Houston, smacking 11 hits, including their third grand slam of the series, en route to a 12-3 victory.
The Red Sox now lead the ALCS 2-1, and have scored 21 runs in their last two contests. Boston will look to grab its third straight win in Game 4 on Tuesday, when they clash with the Astros once again.
Astros vs Red Sox Game 4 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | +116 | +1.5 (-166) | O 10 (-110) |
| Boston Red Sox | -136 | -1.5 (+138) | U 10 (-110) |
Odds as of Oct. 18th at FanDuel.
The Red Sox opened up as a -136 moneyline favorite, in a game that features a total of 10. First pitch is scheduled for 8:07 pm ET at Fenway Park, with a chilly night for baseball on deck. The forecast currently calls for clear skies and 50 degree night time temperatures.
Probable Pitchers
Boston will give the ball to Nick Pivetta, who was in contention to get the start in Game 3 along with Eduardo Rodriguez. Pivetta has made two career postseason appearances, both in relief in 2021, surrendering a total of seven hits and three runs over 8.2 innings to Tampa Bay in the ALDS.
Nick Pivetta was ELECTRIC. pic.twitter.com/oLb8ox9lnL
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 11, 2021
The 28-year-old started 30 games for the Red Sox during the regular season, posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. He allowed three runs or less in each of his final four starts, posting one-run efforts against both the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox.
He made one 2021 start against the Astros back in June, and pitched quite well. He held Houston to three runs and two hits over 6 innings, striking out nine in a losing effort.
Greinke vs Pivetta 2021 Playoff Stats
| 0-0 | Record | 1-0 |
| 0.00 | ERA | 3.12 |
| 2.00 | WHIP | 1.15 |
| .400 | OBA | .226 |
| 1.0 | SO/W Ratio | 3.8 |
Houston meanwhile, will counter with veteran Zack Greinke. The 37-year-old has pitched just 1 inning of relief so far this postseason, surrendering two hits to the White Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS.
The 37-year-old made 29 starts during the regular season, posting an 11-6 record with a 4.16 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He’s no stranger to postseason baseball, with 19 career playoff starts under his belt, and the Astros will be counting on him to go deep in the game.
FINAL: Boston 12, Houston 3
Well, that was a complete beatdown.
Game 4 tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET. Likely starters are Nick Pivetta and Zack Greinke. The Astros aren't quite in must-win territory yet, but they're verging toward it. And the Red Sox look like a tremendous machine.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 19, 2021
So far this series, no Houston starter has pitched more than 2.2 innings, and only Framber Valdez got past the 2nd inning. The Astros bullpen has already pitched over 20 innings, and could badly use a night off.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Astros Batters | Batting Average vs Pivetta | Red Sox Batters | Batting Average vs Greinke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | .250 | Â Kyle Schwarber | .667 |
| Yordan Alvarez | .000 | Xander Bogaerts | .500 |
| Jason Castro | .000 | Danny Santana | .000 |
| Alex Bregman | .250 | Rafael Devers | .500 |
| Martin Maldonado | .000 | Enrique Hernandez | .231 |
| Carlos Correa | .333 | J.D. Martinez | .278 |
| Kyle Tucker | .667 | Hunter Renfroe | .304 |
| Yuli Gurriel | .200 | Christian Vazquez | 1.000 |
Greinke faced the Red Sox once this season and it was not pretty. Boston got to him for seven hits and four runs over 3 innings, in a 12-8 victory.
Astros vs Red Sox Pick
When Grienke takes the mound on Tuesday it will mark exactly a month since his last start. He failed to make it past the 5th inning in any of his final three regular season outings, and the way Boston is swinging the bat at the moment, you’d have to think he’s a longshot to even get to the 5th inning in Game 4.
The Red Sox have scored 57 times in eight postseason games. They’re the first team in MLB history with double-digit hits in six straight playoff games, and they’ve homered seven times in the last two contests alone.
No one is slowing Boston down right now, especially not Greinke and the tired Houston bullpen arms.
Pick: Boston Red Sox Moneyline (-136)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
