HOUSTON -- In every sense of the phrase, Nathan Eovaldi has been here before.
Here, as in pitching in a Game 3, with the Red Sox tied with their opponents 1-1. He'll start Tuesday in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros, just as he did in Game 3 of their ALDS matchup with the Yankees.
The Sox can only hope that Eovaldi repeats something close to the same results. Against the Yankees, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball as the Sox won that night, then advanced the following night.
He's not about to be intimidated when the Astros fans in Minute Maid Park get going for the home team.
"Pitching in Yankee Stadium,'' said Eovaldi, "they're a loud crowd as well. And I feel like if go out there and do my job, attack the zone and get that first-pitch strike, not give up any free bases, no walks, things like that, I feel like that will keep the crowd out of it as well.
"I know they're going to be loud here and I feel like with the roof closed and stuff, it gets even louder. So I'm definitely looking forward to it, pitching in these circumstances. But (I'll) focus on trying dictate the counts and stay in control.''
Eovaldi is entirely familiar with the area, too, having grown up in nearby Alvin -- hometown of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan -- and having pitched at Minute Maid Park as a teenager.
"It's definitely very special to me,'' he said. "Growing up, we watched a lot of games here and then, in travel ball and stuff, we got to play here a couple of times. It's real special to me.''
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