ALCS Game 1 at a glance
Astros-Red Sox Game 1 Preview: Goliath vs. Goliath
Oct 12, 2018, 6:56 am
With three wins down, the Astros will look to get four more in the ALCS to move on to their second consecutive World Series. To do so, they'll have to go through a much tougher Boston team than they played in the ALDS last year. Here are the details for today's Game 1. Look for our full recap after the game:
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Fenway Park, Boston.
TV: TBS.
Streaming: TBS App.
Pitching matchup: Justin Verlander vs. Chris Sale.
Series: Tied 0-0.
The breakdown: Much like Game 1 of the ALDS where the Astros had Verlander vs. Kluber for the Indians, the ALCS will also pit ace against ace in Game 1 with Verlander going against Chris Sale. Sale pitched in relief in the Game 4 win on Tuesday night so it will be interesting to see if that plays a factor at all in his velocity or performance tonight. Verlander, meanwhile, will be on extended rest with his last time on the mound going back to ALDS Game 1 on Oct. 5, and he typically prefers to keep a steady schedule to stay sharp. Look for the Astros to build on the strong road offense they displayed when they eliminated the Indians so they can steal one or both of these first two games in Boston before returning to Houston.
Series schedule:
Result / Date & Time | Location | Pitching matchup | |
Game 1 | Tonight, 7:00 PM | Boston | Verlander vs. Sale |
Game 2 | Sun. 10/14, 6:00 PM | Boston | Cole vs. Price |
Game 3 | Tues. 10/16, 4:00 PM | Minute Maid | Keuchel+ vs. TBD |
Game 4 | Wed. 10/17, 7:30 PM | Minute Maid | Morton+ vs. TBD |
Game 5* | Thu. 10/18, 7:00 PM | Minute Maid | Verlander+ vs. TBD |
Game 6* | Sat. 10/20, 4:00 PM | Boston | Cole+ vs. TBD |
Game 7* | Sun. 10/21, 6:30 PM | Boston | TBD vs. TBD |
* Games 5-7 are if necessary.
+-projected starters.
The Houston Astros announced on Monday that additional imaging has revealed that Jeremy Peña is dealing with a small fracture in one of his ribs.
Peña left Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs. The club originally believed they had avoided any fractures or breaks, but new information has informed them otherwise.
Update on Jeremy Peña: pic.twitter.com/jfCsCUKWFx
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 30, 2025
Peña is heading to the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 28. This news comes at an unfortunate time, with Jeremy posting the best regular season numbers of his career. He's currently slashing .322, .378, .489 with an .867 OPS.
Peña will miss the Rockies and Dodgers series at a minimum.
Story on Peña headed to the IL with quotes from Dana Brown.
“This isn’t one of those things where you have to be sidelined the whole time. Once the inflammation goes down, he might feel good enough to swing a bat.” https://t.co/ih2G09Jpcf
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 30, 2025
Let's hope the team doesn't rush him back too soon and create an even bigger problem. These quotes above from Dana Brown have me concerned. Playing through injuries can create bad habits, and Jeremy has clearly found his swing this season.