The Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 10-1 in Game 4 of the ALDS to advance to their fifth consecutive ALCS. The Astros are only the second AL team to reach five straight league championship series joining the Oakland A's who did so between 1971-1975. The Atlanta Braves reached five consecutive NLCS contests from 1995-1999. The Astros will face the Boston Red Sox, a rematch of the 2018 ALCS starting Friday night in Houston at Minute Maid Park. Houston is 2-2 in ALCS contests besting the New York Yankees in 2017 and 2019 while falling short against the Red Sox in 2018 and the Tampa Bay Rays last year.
I suspect most will root against the Astros for the lingering legacy of the 2018 electronic sign stealing scandal. But Red Sox manager Alex Cora was at the center of that scandal when he was a bench coach in Houston. Dusty Baker, on the other hand, is unimpeachable.
Nevertheless, I shall still root for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox will need every bit of good fortune they can. Yes, Boston prevailed in 2018 but that was the year they won 108 games. Then again the Red Sox did just eliminate a Rays team which won 100 games. There's no reason they cannot do the same to the Astros. Love them or hate them though the Astros are formidable and a force with which to be reckoned.
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