The MLB postseason trucks along tonight as the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros begin the ALCS at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Red Sox are coming off an impressive 3-1 ALDS win over the Rays, while the Astros took care of business against the White Sox, also winning their series 3-1. It is sure to be an exciting series, so why not start things off with a player prop for Game 1? I have a play in mind that I will share here. Along with this prop, be sure to follow Pickswise on Twitter. While there, feel free to follow my personal Twitter as well.
Let’s break it down:
Enrique Hernandez to record 2+ total bases (+105)
Line available at FanDuel at time of publishing
Is anyone as confident as Enrique Hernandez at the plate right now? The guy is on fire. He is 10-for-23 (.435) through 5 postseason games, and 9 of those hits have come in the last 3 games. Even his outs are productive, as he drove in the game-winning run in Game 4 with a walk-off sac fly. Hernandez is no stranger to October baseball, and a solid mixture of experience and confidence goes a long way at this time of year.
Houston left-hander Framber Valdez will be the first pitcher Hernandez faces this evening. While Valdez’s numbers on the year are solid, he often struggled against good lineups. Against a strong Chicago White Sox offense in Game 2 of the division series, he surrendered 4 earned runs on 7 hits in only 4.1 innings. The Red Sox have a very potent lineup, and Hernandez is a big part of that equation. Hernandez’s batting average increases from .244 to .260 against lefties, and his OPS goes from .744 to .850. With the way he is seeing the ball right now, look for Hernandez to keep things rolling tonight.
Don’t forget to check out our full game preview for Boston Red Sox vs Houston Astros
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