ALCS GAME 4 AT A GLANCE

Astros-Red Sox Game 4 Preview: Time to right the ship

Astros-Red Sox Game 4 Preview: Time to right the ship
Charlie Morton gets the ball tonight in a must-win. Houston Astros/Facebook
   

With their backs being pushed closer and closer to the wall, Game 4 is an important one for the Astros. They'll get the chance to tie the series up tonight and make it a best-of-3. Check our recap right after the final pitch for the highlights of the game:


When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Minute Maid.

TV: TBS.

Streaming: TBS App.

Pitching matchup: Charlie Morton vs. Rick Porcello.

Series: Red Sox lead 2-1.

The breakdown: The Astros will have to flip the momentum from the last two games to hold the Red Sox down in tonight's game long enough to build a lead they can hold on to. The best way they can accomplish that is by taking advantage of the pitching matchup. Charlie Morton, who will take the mound for the Astros, will be coming off an extended period of rest, his last in-game action coming in a tune-up start to finish the regular season on Sept. 30. Rick Porcello will be starting for Boston, and he, on the other hand, has already seen his fair share of the 2018 postseason with one five-inning start against the Yankees in their ALDS-clinching Game 4 win, and two relief appearances, most recently on Sunday where he threw a scoreless frame. Look for the Astros to try and manufacture some early runs to put stress on Porcello and get to the Red Sox bullpen early, meanwhile giving Morton some run support to go deep into the game to limit innings from their own relievers. 

Series schedule:

  Result / Date & Time Location Pitching matchup
Game 1 Astros 7, Red Sox 2 Boston Verlander (W) vs. Sale (ND)
Game 2 Astros 5, Red Sox 7 Boston Cole (L) vs. Price (ND)
Game 3 Astros 2, Red Sox 8 Minute Maid Keuchel (ND) vs. Eovaldi (W)
Game 4 Tonight, 7:30 PM Minute Maid Morton vs. Porcello
Game 5 Thursday 10/18, 7:00 PM Minute Maid Verlander+ vs. TBD
Game 6* Saturday 10/20, 4:00 PM Boston Cole+ vs. TBD
Game 7* Sunday 10/21, 6:30 PM Boston TBD vs. TBD

* Games 6-7 are if necessary.
+-projected starters.

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Should the Texans prioritize offensive line or receiver? Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Texans are entering the 2025 NFL Draft with a roster on the rise and a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud—but what happens next is anything but certain.

Draft experts are calling this year’s class one of the most difficult to project, especially in the back half of the first round, where opinions on prospects vary widely. For the Texans, who hold the No. 25 overall pick, this presents both opportunity and risk. With no glaring positional holes but several areas in need of long-term upgrades, Houston’s approach will provide insight into how the front office views its roster—and, more specifically, how it plans to protect its most valuable asset: Stroud.

Stroud was sacked 52 times last season, second only to Chicago's Caleb Williams. That reality underscores the Texans’ top priority heading into the draft: fortifying the offensive line. How they do that could reveal what they truly think of tackle Blake Fisher and whether Tytus Howard’s future lies at guard or tackle.

A number of linemen are on the Texans’ radar for their first-round pick, including Alabama interior mauler Tyler Booker, versatile North Dakota State tackle Gray Zabel, and Oregon’s athletic pass protector Josh Conerly. Texas standout Kelvin Banks and Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson also bring physicality and pedigree, while Josh Simmons of Ohio State is a long-term project coming off a torn patellar tendon.

Still, wide receiver is the other major position of interest. If Houston opts to go wideout in the first round, names like Arizona’s Tet McMillan, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, Missouri’s Luther Burden, and Texas' Matthew Golden offer a blend of polish, upside, and explosiveness.

A best-case scenario? The Texans land an offensive lineman in the first round and then leverage their extra third-round pick to trade up for a sliding receiver like Burden early in the second. That would give Houston immediate trench help and another weapon for Stroud without having to choose between the two priorities.

No matter what direction the Texans go, this year’s draft is set to be the most unpredictable of the Stroud era. And that might be just how Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans like it.

We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap discusses all the topics above and much more!

And be sure to watch our live reaction to the Texans' first round pick this Thursday night on our SportsMap Texans YouTube channel!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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