Boston at Houston

The Red Sox are on the road for the third straight game with little pop in their bats, off a 1-0 loss to the abysmal Phillies as a -260 favorite. It was the sixth time they've been shutout, down to #28 in homers and #17 in slugging. Now they head to Houston to face the best team in baseball. Boston has a losing road mark and goes with soft-throwing up-and-down lefty Drew Pomeranz. He was pounded in his last start on Sunday, allowing six runs on eight hits in 4+ innings of an 8-3 loss to Detroit. Houston (41-18 run) is a powerhouse on offense, second in scoring and on-base percentage, third in slugging, while the pitching staff ranks fourth in team ERA. Houston starter Mike Fiers has had a strong campaign and the Astros are 15-6 when he starts at home. The Astros are also 44-21 against a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30, making this a great spot for the home team. Back Houston.