Astros @ Red Sox

Who will WIN this matchup?

Houston Astros (35-26)

@ Boston Red Sox (37-25)

Starting Pitchers:

Greinke (HOU): 6-2; 3.38 ERA

Rodriguez (BOS) 5-4; 5.59 ERA

Current odds:

Houston Astros: (-105)

Boston Red Sox: (-105)

• Eduardo Rodriguez is tasked with trying to cool off the Houston Astros’ bats as the host Boston Red Sox hope to avoid a three-game series sweep on Thursday night. Rodriguez will be opposed by Astros ace Zack Greinke.

• Houston’s bats came alive in a pair of blowout wins to open the series, a 7-1 drubbing on Tuesday and an 8-3 victory on Wednesday. The Astros have won five of six games against the Red Sox this season after taking three of four in Houston last week.

• Rodriguez (5-4, 5.59 ERA) will seek to turn things around for the Red Sox and build on a solid start last time out after a rough stretch. The 28-year-old left-hander held the Yankees to three runs on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in Boston’s 7-3 win at New York on Saturday.

• Rodriguez had allowed four or more runs in four prior starts, all losses, including giving up a season-high six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in an 11-2 loss at Houston on May 31. In that game, the Astros’ Jose Altuve hit a two-run home run in the third inning and Kyle Tucker added a two-run single in the fifth. Rodriguez is 1-3 with a 7.84 ERA in five career starts against the Astros.

• Alex Bregman, who hit a two-run shot Wednesday, is 3-for-9 with two homers and three RBIs in his career against Rodriguez. Altuve (4-for-10), Martin Maldonado (2-for-7) and Michael Brantley (1-for-6) have each hit one home run against him.

• Greinke (6-2, 3.38 ERA) is coming off one of his best starts of the season. On Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays in Buffalo, the veteran right-hander tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in a 13-1 Astros rout.

• Greinke is 4-1 with a 2.37 ERA over his past five starts. He did not face the Red Sox during the team’s four-game series last week and has struggled in his career against Boston, going 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA in eight appearances (seven starts). He is 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA in three games (two starts) at Fenway Park.

• Hunter Renfroe is 6-for-21 with three homers and six RBIs against Greinke. Enrique Hernandez is 3-for-12 with two home runs and five RBIs and J.D. Martinez is 4-for-16 with one homer and three RBIs against him.

• Alex Verdugo, who is 1-for-6 lifetime against Greinke, is expected back in the lineup after missing the Red Sox’s past two games due to back tightness.

• Boston is 5-5 over its last 10 games and has dropped two straight following a five-game winning streak.