Mike Burrows Leads May 1 Opener — Where To Watch Diamondbacks Vs Chicago Cubs
Mike Burrows starts the May 1 opener with Boston listing a TBD starter, and the Astros enter the series at 12-20 with an 8-game losing streak hanging over the trip to Fenway Park. If you are checking where to watch diamondbacks vs chicago cubs, the immediate story is Houston trying to stop the slide before the three-game set tightens any further.
Burrows Opens For Houston
Burrows takes the ball Friday after a season in which his ERA sits north of six. He already faced Boston once on April 1 and allowed 2 runs over 5.0 innings, giving Houston at least one recent look at how he can hold up against this lineup.
His season line is sharper than the ERA suggests. Burrows has struck out 33 and walked 12 over 31.2 innings, which gives Houston a starter who has missed bats even while the results have swung hard from outing to outing.
Boston’s Rotation Plan
Boston has not named its Friday starter, but the rest of the weekend is set around Connelly Early and Ranger Suárez. Early gets Saturday after winning his last outing against the Orioles in 6.2 innings, while Suárez is lined up for Sunday after throwing 8.0 scoreless, 1-hit, 10-strikeout innings in Canada against Toronto.
Suárez’s path to that Sunday start adds another layer to the matchup. His season debut came against the Astros, and he lasted 4.1 innings while allowing 4 runs, so Houston will have a second chance to see him after getting to him earlier in the year.
Series Pressure At Fenway
The records show why the opener carries weight. Houston is 12-20, Boston is 12-19, and the Red Sox are 7 games under.500 after going 1-2 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Boston has also lost Garrett Crochet for at least two weeks, so the rotation has to hold up without its top arm.
That leaves the Red Sox leaning on depth, and Jake Bennett may be next in line. He has a 0.86 ERA in five starts and 21.0 innings for the WooSox, and he missed 2024 after Tommy John surgery. If Boston needs innings quickly, that is the kind of call-up that can change how the weekend unfolds.
Houston still brings enough offense to punish any short start. Yordan Alvarez is hitting.356 with 12 home runs, Christian Walker is at.300/.371/.564, and Jose Altuve and Isaac Paredes have also supplied steady production as the Astros try to break the skid. The opener sets the tone for May 1, and the next two games on May 2 and May 3 will decide whether either club leaves Boston with a reset or another problem.
