The Red Sox enter this afternoon’s ALDS game two against the Astros with their backs near the wall, less because of the 1-0 game lead than Houston’s scalding-hot bats, which have now been a problem for more than a week. Today, as he did so often this season, Drew Pomeranz will look to right the ship.
The big lefty was Boston’s biggest surprise in the rotation this year, posting a 17-6 record with a 3.32 ERA — marks not entirely different from those of Rick Porcello in 2016, which earned him the Cy Young Award.