Braden Shewmake Leads Red Sox Into Series Finale With Astros

braden shewmake was in the Red Sox lineup for the May 3, 2026 series finale against the Astros, and Ranger Suarez started on the mound for Boston at 1:35 p.m. The left-hander entered 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA after striking out 10 and allowing one hit and one walk over eight shutout innings in Toronto on Monday.

Boston needed the game after dropping three of four following a three-game win streak. The Red Sox had also lost 6-3 on Saturday, a result that left them 2-19 when their starter works fewer than six innings and 2-14 when the opponent scores first.

Suarez Faces Houston Again

Suarez drew another Houston start with a 0-3 record and a 6.60 ERA in three career outings against the Astros. That record sat opposite the sharpest work of his Boston run so far, and it set up the start as the cleanest hinge point in the matchup: whether the Red Sox could get length from their left-hander and avoid leaning on the same short-start pattern that has hurt them all season.

Cody Bolton started for Houston at 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in his fifth appearance and third start of the season. He had allowed two runs in both of his starts, including one one-inning opener.

Boston’s Lineup Around Duran

The Red Sox posted Jarren Duran, Contreras, Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Monasterio, Mayer, Rafaela, Narváez, and Durbin in the lineup. Wilyer Abreu brought the sharpest recent bat, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and reaching base four times in Saturday’s loss.

Boston also had an immediate reason to trust the middle of that order. The club had failed to capitalize three times with the bases loaded on Saturday, and that missed chance fed directly into the pressure on a lineup that has had trouble finishing innings once traffic builds.

Astros Counter With Altuve

Houston’s lineup included Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, Brice Matthews, Cam Smith, Christian Vazquez, and Harris. The Astros entered at 13-21, while Boston was 13-20, so the finale carried more than just one game’s value for a club trying to steady itself after a rough four-game stretch.

Ryan Weiss was set to rejoin Houston after a stint on the paternity list. Boston had not faced any Boston batters before the game, keeping the late lineup card and Suarez’s start as the clearest indicators of how the finale would open for both sides.