Jake Bennett Debut Set for May 1 as Astros Face Red Sox — Where To Watch Cincinnati Reds Vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Jake Bennett was set to make his MLB debut on Friday, May 1, after Garrett Crochet was scratched with shoulder inflammation. The matchup shifted late, and the Astros were the ones left preparing for a minor league call-up instead of Boston’s ace. For readers searching where to watch Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates, this is the kind of last-minute pitching change that can reshape a betting board and a game plan.
Jake Bennett enters Boston
Bennett reached this point with two wins and a 0.86 ERA at Triple-A in the first month of the season. That workload put him in line for a major league start in a game Houston originally expected to see Crochet handle.
The Red Sox had not exactly arrived in steady form. They were in last place, had fired the manager and five coaches last weekend, and returned home on a two-game skid under the new skipper after scoring one run in their last two games.
Houston’s offense and Burrows
Houston still had Yordan Alvarez anchoring the lineup, and he led the AL in all three Triple Crown categories after finishing a 13-game hitting streak. That gives the Astros a real run-producing presence even as the matchup on the mound changed.
Mike Burrows was scheduled to start for Houston, and he had already beaten the Red Sox a month earlier by striking out six in five innings. Since that outing, he had lost all four of his starts, posting a 6.43 ERA and a 1.619 WHIP.
Last-place teams, tighter margins
The game came with both teams in last place, which made the pitching switch more than a simple personnel note. The Red Sox had also played to the under in 16 of their last 24 home games, and they were 5-8 at home entering the series.
For Boston, Crochet’s scratch handed the ball to Bennett and changed the look of the opener in one move. For Houston, it meant preparing for a debut on short notice while trying to keep a lineup centered around Alvarez and a starter in Burrows who had already shown both his best and worst this month.
