HOUSTON — Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros are brimming with confidence, even after a Game 2 AL Championship Series defeat to the Boston Red Sox.
For proof, just see Bregman’s social media feed.
Hours after Boston beat Houston 7-5 to even the best-of-seven series at a game each, Bregman shared video Monday on Instagram of the Astros hitting back-to-back-to-back home runs against Game 3 Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi from a game in June.
“Lil pregame video work,” he wrote.
Eovaldi will oppose Dallas Keuchel in Houston on Tuesday after Rick Porcello was used in relief during Game 2, when the Astros took their first loss of the postseason. Eovaldi’s previous start against the Astros didn’t go well. The right-hander allowed seven hits and four runs in a 5-1 loss June 20 while with Tampa Bay, including a season-high four homers.
Three of those were hit in succession by George Springer, Bregman and Jose Altuve in the sixth inning.
The Astros didn’t work out Monday, so the brazen 24-year-old Bregman wasn’t available to reporters. Plenty of others weighed in, though, including Astros manager AJ Hinch. He had no issue with the online barb.
“Welcome to the current generation,” Hinch said. “Obviously there’s fun banter. … We want guys to have their personalities, have their fun. Then go out and back it up.”
Eovaldi didn’t seem bothered by the video, saying he doesn’t have social media but some of his teammates told him about it.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who is close with Bregman from his time as Houston’s bench coach last season, brushed off the notion that Bregman’s video could provide an added push for his team Tuesday.
“If you need motivation in Game 3 of the ALCS, you better check yourself,” he said. “Because you win three more games, you go to the show, and that’s what should motivate you. Alex has different ways of motivating himself. And whatever. I’ll leave it at that.”
Tuesday will be Keuchel’s ninth postseason start and first since allowing four hits and two runs in five innings of Houston’s 11-3 win over the Indians in Game 3 of the Division Series on Oct. 8. The 30-year-old left-hander has been overshadowed by Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole this season, but Hinch raved about the adjustments he’s made to continue to help the Astros.
“Dallas has had to handle success when the league has tried to adjust to him,” Hinch said. “He’s adjusted back, and he’s gone back to his strengths in the back half of this season where his two-seam fastball, his changeup, his occasional cutter is good against anyone.”
Eovaldi made his postseason debut in Game 3 of this year’s ALDS against the New York Yankees, yielding five hits and one run in seven innings of the 16-1 victory. Now he’ll pitch just 30 miles from his hometown of Alvin, Texas, a suburb best known as the home of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.
Eovaldi has long looked up to Ryan and said “words can’t really describe” what it was like when he met him while he was with the Yankees. He knows Ryan, an executive adviser to Astros owner Jim Crane, will likely be sitting behind the home plate Tuesday.
“I don’t really notice people in particular in the stands,” he said. “I’m so focused on the game, locking in on the catcher and things like that. And I feel that would take my attention away from everything if I’m scanning the crowds and stuff.”
The Red Sox got good news Tuesday when ace Chris Sale was released from a hospital after an overnight stay because of a stomach illness. He was scheduled to join Boston in Houston on Tuesday night, and Cora said they’d decide when he’d pitch again after that.
“Everything’s fine,” Cora said before the Red Sox held a brief workout on Monday night. “So we’ll see how he feels physically, and then after that we’ll decide what we’re going to do.”
Sale was released Monday from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he had gone because of a stomach illness after he pitched in the series opener at Fenway Park. He was hospitalized Sunday night for observation and did not travel with the team to Houston.
“It’s great. I think we’re all more concerned for his personal well-being and not necessarily the team,” right fielder Mookie Betts said. “So to know that he’s OK is definitely huge.”
The 29-year-old Sale struggled with his control in Boston’s 7-2 home loss to the Astros on Saturday night. The left-hander allowed two runs, four walks and hit a batter in four innings.
Cora said Sale started feeling ill and was throwing up right after the game. Sale went to a hospital early Sunday morning.
The illness was announced by the team during Game 2 on Sunday night, which the Red Sox won to even the series.
“When I got to the ballpark, they told me he was there. Nothing serious. He was going to go through a battery of tests and see what was going on,” Cora said. “He’ll be here tomorrow and, hopefully, physically he’s ready to go, and we’ll decide when he pitches.”
Sale made just one start between July 27 and Sept. 11 because of mild left shoulder inflammation, then made four starts during the rest of the regular season. He beat the Yankees in the Division Series opener and pitched one inning of relief in Game 4 as the Red Sox won the best-of-five series.