ALCS GAME 5 AT A GLANCE

Astros-Red Sox Game 5 preview: Win or stay home

Astros-Red Sox Game 5 preview: Win or stay home
Justin Verlander will try to keep the Astros alive. Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

It's all or nothing now. The Astros now have to achieve a very unlikely feat: beating the best regular-season team in three straight games, two of which would be in Boston, to move on. It starts tonight with Game 5, where they'll have their best chance at a win with ace Justin Verlander on the mound. Be sure to catch our recap of the game after the final pitch:

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Minute Maid.

TV: TBS.

Streaming: TBS App.

Pitching matchup: Justin Verlander vs. David Price.

Series: Red Sox lead 3-1.

The breakdown: It's an elimination game for the Astros. This will be their last game in Houston in the ALCS, and their last time with a normally-rested Verlander on the mound to start. Boston is slated to send out David Price, despite Price warming in the bullpen late in last night's game. It's yet to be determined how long Boston expects Price to stay in the game tonight, but the Astros will try to get him out early like they did in Game 2 where they tagged him with four runs in four and two-thirds innings. For this, and hopefully, the other remaining games that they could force, the key to winning for the Astros will be stifling Boston's hot offense, and getting more done on offense themselves to convert more scoring opportunities and leave fewer runners on base. It's no longer about the series, it's all about these nine innings, and executing to force another game to be able to play again on Saturday.

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 Astros 6, Red Sox 8 Minute Maid Morton (ND) vs. Porcello (ND)
Game 5 Tonight, 7:00 PM Minute Maid Verlander vs. Price
Game 6*  Saturday 10/20, 4:00 PM Boston Cole+ vs. Sale+
Game 7* Sunday 10/21, 6:30 PM Boston TBD vs. TBD

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That's five straight losses for Houston. Composite Getty Image.

Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking two-run homer for his first major league hit, and the Chicago Cubs swept the Houston Astros with a 3-1 victory on Thursday.

Nico Hoerner had three hits and Mike Tauchman went 1 for 1 with three walks as Chicago won for the fourth time in five games. Hayden Wesneski (2-0) pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings for the win in relief of Javier Assad.

Houston has lost a season-high five straight and eight of nine overall. At 7-19, it is off to its worst 26-game start since it was 6-20 in 1969.

First-year manager Joe Espada was ejected by plate umpire Jansen Visconti in the top of ninth.

Crow-Armstrong was recalled from Triple-A Iowa when Cody Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with two fractured ribs. The 22-year-old outfielder, who is considered one of the team’s top prospects, made his big league debut last year and went 0 for 14 while appearing in 13 games.

He picked a perfect time for his first major league hit.

Houston had a 1-0 lead before Dansby Swanson scampered home on a fielder’s choice grounder for Miguel Amaya in the sixth.

Espada then replaced Rafael Montero with Bryan Abreu, who threw a wild pitch with Crow-Armstrong trying to sacrifice Amaya to second. Crow-Armstrong then drove his next pitch deep to right, delighting the crowd of 29,876 at Wrigley Field.

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