Houston @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2014 ) Houston 4, Boston 9

Now that the pressure is off, the Boston Red Sox are playing some of their best baseball of the season. The Red Sox will attempt to post a fifth straight victory when they host the Houston Astros for the second contest of a four-game series on Friday. Boston enjoyed a successful road trip due in large part to its pitching staff but returned home on Thursday and broke out the offense with 14 hits in a 9-4 triumph in the series opener.

The Astros are losers of four of their last five and have squandered two straight chances to match the team’s win total from last season (51). Chris Carter entered the series on a tear with six home runs and 14 RBIs in the previous seven games but went 0-for-4 against the Red Sox staff on Thursday, failing to carry an offense that has totaled nine runs in the last four losses. Boston has taken 16 of the 20 all-time meetings between the teams, including all eight at Fenway Park.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN Houston, NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (10-8, 3.07 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Clay Buchholz (5-7, 5.99)

Keuchel had a run of strong starts come to an end against Texas on Sunday, when he was reached for five runs on six hits and three walks in six innings to suffer a loss. The 26-year-old surrendered a total of four runs - two earned - in 23 innings over his previous three turns. Keuchel has made one career appearance against Boston out of the bullpen last season, when he was knocked around for four runs while recording two outs.

Buchholz bounced back from a pair of horrific outings with a strong effort in Los Angeles on Saturday, holding the Angels to three runs on six hits in eight innings. The Texas native yielded seven earned runs over five innings in each of his previous two starts. Buchholz’s best start of the season came at Houston the day before the All-Star break, when he scattered three hits and struck out 12 without walking a batter in a shutout.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox have outscored the Astros 52-23 in the eight meetings at Fenway Park.

2. Houston OF Alex Presley (oblique) took a few days off from a rehab assignment after feeling some discomfort and is unlikely to return during the series.

3. Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia has multiple hits in four of his last five starts.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Astros 3