McAdam: Astros still have the Red Sox' number

Some teams simply represent bad matchups. The Houston Astros appear to be one of those teams for the Red Sox.

Dating back to last September and counting the don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it ALDS between the clubs, the Sox and Astros have played 14 times, with Houston winning 10 times.

That may not represent a huge sample size, but then, it doesn't take much for one team to steamroll another, as the Red Sox discovered last October.

The Astros won three-of-four in the final series of last season, won the ALDS in four games, split a four-game set with Houston on the first weekend of June, and have taken the first two games this weekend at Fenway, thus guaranteeing themselves the season series, no matter what happens Sunday night.

When the Sox rallied in Houston earlier this season to beat the Astros twice in a row after dropping the first two, it felt like a victory of sorts for the Sox. This was proof positive the Red Sox were improved over last year's edition and evidence that the Sox could play with an elite team -- a point that seemed very much in doubt earlier this season when the Sox fattened up by feasting on the many non-competitive AL teams.

But here it is September with the post-season just ahead on the horizon, and again, the Astros have established their dominance again.

To be sure, this doesn't look like last year when the Sox seemed badly outclassed for a period of two weeks of nearly uninterrupted play against Houston. Last September and October, the sense was that the Sox could play the Astros 100 times and never figure out a way to beat them in a game of consequence.

The losses weren't competitive. Boston's starting pitching was outclassed and when they fell behind, they lacked the firepower to catch up.

That's no longer the case. David Price pitched very well Friday night before his bullpen caved in on him. And while Eduardo Rodriguez was no match for the Astros Saturday, the Sox had their chances but couldn't take advantage. The Sox had two on and J.D. Martinez at the plate in the ninth, and one swing could have won the ballgame. Instead, Martinez bounced into a rally-killing, game-ending double play.

Maybe it doesn't mean much in the big picture. Some matchups defy expectations and/or logic. The Indians, one of the handful of best teams in the game, lost to the Yankees in the ALDS last fall and finished the season series 2-5 against them this season.

Alex Cora, who, of course, served as bench coach for the Astros last season and knows their personnel and tendencies as well as anyone, is neither surprised nor troubled by what he sees.

"I know who they are,'' he said. "They're playing good baseball. They have good arms, but we feel we could up good at-bats against them. We (just) haven't finished them. Hopefully, we can face them later on in the (postseason). We know where we are. We know what we have to do. That's a good team, a complete team.''

They're also the defending world champions, so it's no shock that they represent a challenge.

As things stand now, it's unlikely the Red Sox will draw the Astros in the first round of the postseason. Assuming the Astros hold off the A's in the AL West, Houston will meet Cleveland in the first round. In the meantime, the Sox will get the winner of the wild-card game (likely either the Yankees or A's). Should they win that ALDS, the Sox would advance to play the winner of the Cleveland-Houston ALDS.

Either way, the Sox will get a chance to avenge their first-round conquerors from the past two Octobers. That should prove motivation enough, no matter which opponent is lined up against them.

But from here, it seems the Red Sox would be better off getting the Indians, with whom they recently split four games, with another three coming up later this month in Cleveland.

The Astros are playoff-tested, the defending champs until someone knows them off, and they seem to know how to beat the Red Sox, regardless of the setting or the stakes.

Chalk it up to talent, to being in the Red Sox heads, or the vagaries of certain matchups. But the Red Sox probably wouldn't mind having Sunday's game represent the last time they have to play the Astros this season.