MLB Playoffs 2018: Latest Results, Updated Schedule and Predictions

After squaring their American League Championship Series with a nail-biting 7-5 victory in Game 2, the Boston Red Sox are going to attempt to keep their postseason road winning streak intact.

The Red Sox clinched the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees with back-to-back wins at Yankee Stadium. Now they have to beat the Astros at least once on the road if they are going to advance to the World Series.

The Red Sox will send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound at Minute Maid Park, and he will face Dallas Keuchel of the Astros. Eovaldi was a midseason acquisition of the Red Sox in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 28-year-old was 6-7 with a 3.81 earned-run average this season, and he was brilliant for Boston in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees. He allowed five hits and one run in seven innings, and the key to his performance was his control. He did not walk a batter and struck out five while dominating the strike zone throughout the night.

Eovaldi has a career record of 1-1 with a 3.19 ERA against the Astros.

Keuchel was 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA, and he has been a mainstay for the Astros during the last three seasons. The 30-year-old gave up two earned runs in five innings in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians. The Houston mainstay has a career 3.28 postseason ERA in nine starts.

American League Championship Series

Schedule

Game 1: Astros 7, Red Sox 2; Astros lead 1-0

Game 2: Red Sox 7, Astros 5; Series tied 1-1

Game 3: Red Sox at Astros; Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 5:09 p.m. ET on TBS 

Game 4: Red Sox at Astros; Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 8:39 p.m. ET on TBS 

Game 5: Red Sox at Astros; Thursday, Oct. 18 at 8:09 p.m. ET on TBS 

*Game 6: Astros at Red Sox; Saturday, Oct. 20 at 5:09 p.m. ET on TBS 

*Game 7: Astros at Red Sox; Sunday, Oct. 21 at 7:39 p.m. ET on TBS 

*If necessary.

The Red Sox hope to do what the Milwaukee Brewers did Monday night, as the Crew went on the road after splitting the first two games at home and won Game 3.

The Brewers received brilliant pitching from starter Jhoulys Chacin and four relievers as they shut down the Dodgers by a 4-0 score.

Orlando Arcia, who hit three home runs during the regular season, struck his third long ball of the postseason for the Brewers.

The Brewers were in firm control from the start as the Dodgers hitters could not mount any kind of serious attack against the Milwaukee pitchers until the ninth inning. Jeremy Jeffers gave up two ninth inning hits and a walk to load the bases, but he struck out Brian Dozier with the bases loaded to end the game.

Chacin pitched 5.1 innings and gave up just three hits and two walks. Corey Knebel did not allow a base runner in 1.2 innings, and Joakim Soria retired the only hitter he faced in the eighth inning.

Ace left-handed reliever Josh Hader got the final two outs of the eighth, and Brewers manager Craig Counsell decided the four-run cushion was large enough that he did not have to use Hader for the ninth.

The Brewers survived that decision, but the bases-loaded situation created quite a bit of angst. 

Knebel credited Chacin for his dominant start. "The guy is a beast," he told Fran Charles of the MLB Network. "He is attacking hitters. We all know how tough that lineup is over there. Chacin doesn't care and he just does his job."

The Dodgers will try to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole by winning Game 4 at home Wednesday night. Manager Dave Roberts will send Rich Hill to the mound to get that victory, while the Brewers will depend on their bullpen to get the job done.

Counsell will give the ball to Gio Gonzalez to start, and a parade of relievers are likely to follow.

National League Championship Series

Schedule

Game 1: Brewers 6, Dodgers 5; Brewers lead 1-0

Game 2: Dodgers 4, Brewers 3; Series tied 1-1

Game 3: Brewers 4, Dodgers 0, Brewers lead 2-1

Game 4: Brewers at Dodgers; Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 9:09 p.m. ET on FS1 

Game 5: Brewers at Dodgers; Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 5:05 p.m. ET on FS1 

*Game 6: Dodgers at Brewers; Friday, Oct. 19 at 8:39 p.m. ET on FS1 

*Game 7: Dodgers at Brewers; Saturday, Oct. 20 at 9:09 p.m. ET on FS1 

*If necessary.

Predictions

The Red Sox and Astros are likely to throw figurative punches at each other for seven games. Boston must win one of the next three games in Houston to get the ALCS back to Fenway Park, and we expect that to happen.

However, the Astros appear to have the advantage in Game 3 with Keuchel over Eovaldi.

Keuchel has been on the postseason stage many times, and while Eovaldi performed well against the Yankees, the Astros can dominate against the fastball, and it will be difficult for the Red Sox starter to hold them in check.

The Red Sox will win one of the following two games in Houston and then finish the series with victories in Games 6 and 7 at home.

The Brewers answered quite a few questions with their Game 3 win in Los Angeles. Their 12-game winning streak ended with their Game 2 loss at Miller Park, but the Brewers came back with a sharp victory in Game 3.

The Dodgers are facing near-desperation after losing Game 3, and they will find a way to win Game 4. 

This is also a seven-game series, and the Brewers will survive and advance as they win their first National League pennant and progress to their second World Series. (The Brewers were in the American League when they made it to the 1982 World Series).