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Get Starting Point<\/span><\/p>\nA guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cBig-time strike thrower,\u201d said Chad Tracy, who will make his Fenway debut as interim manager for the Red Sox. \u201cThe velocity and the fastball has obviously ticked up. He was coming off an arm injury when he was with Washington. But when he\u2019s sitting there 94 [miles per hour] \u2014 another guy kind of like [Payton] Tolle, doesn\u2019t throw as hard, but big guy that really gets down the mound with big extension. So he tends to get in on hitters, too, because the fastball plays up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThe Astros will counter with righthander Mike Burrows, who is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two appearances against the Red Sox.<\/span><\/p>\nHere is a preview.<\/span><\/p>\nASTROS (12-20):<\/b> TBA<\/span><\/p>\nPitching:<\/b> RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.25 ERA)<\/span><\/p>\nRED SOX (12-19):<\/b> TBA<\/span><\/p>\nPitching:<\/b> TBA <\/span><\/p>\nTime:<\/b> 7:10 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\nTV, radio:<\/b> NESN+, WEEI-FM 93.7<\/span><\/p>\nAstros vs. :<\/b> Has not faced any Houston batters<\/span><\/p>\nRed Sox vs. Burrows:<\/b> Wilyer Abreu 1-3, Roman Anthony 1-1, Willson Contreras 1-2, Jarren Duran 2-5, Caleb Durbin 0-6, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 0-1, Carlos Narv\u00e1ez 0-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-1, Trevor Story 1-5, Connor Wong 2-2, Masataka Yoshida 1-4<\/span><\/p>\nStat of the day:<\/b> Yordan Alvarez is hitting .391 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs in 26 regular-season games against the Red Sox.<\/span><\/p>\nNotes:<\/b> Bennett is 2-1 with an 0.86 ERA in five starts with Worcester this season. He has struck out 16 and walked three in 21 innings. \u2026 \u201cHe\u2019s in the zone a lot,\u201d said Tracy, who managed Bennett with the WooSox. \u201cDoes a good job of holding runners. He can go from a slide step, he can use a leg kick, lands all stuff. But he\u2019s really, really good, at least down there has been, getting the ball in the strike zone. And he gets a lot of weak contact.\u201d \u2026 While the Sox were off on Thursday, the Astros split a doubleheader with the Orioles in Baltimore. \u2026 Alvarez had his 13-game hitting streak snapped in Thursday\u2019s opener but bounced back with a home run in Houston\u2019s 11-5 win in the nightcap. He is tied for the AL lead in home runs (12) and is first in RBIs (27) and batting average (.356). <\/span><\/p>\nInformation from Field Level Media was used in this report.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n
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