For the second straight game, the Astros turned to the Book of Genesis to smite the Red Sox.

You know, “In The Big Inning…”

Wednesday night at Fenway it was the fifth inning, as Houston hung up a five-spot. That came one evening after the ‘Stros rolled seven in the ninth. Those back-to-back wins at Fenway put Houston up 3-2 in the ALCS with Game Six back at Minute Maid on Friday.

Can Framber Valdez just keep starting every remaining game, right on through the World Series?  No?  That’s not possible?  Damn!

How good was Framber in Game Five? Good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence with Bob Freaking Gibson. Valdez joins Gibby as the only two visiting pitchers to have gone eight or more innings and given up three or fewer hits in a postseason game at Fenway.  Gibson did it in the 1967 World Series. Yeah, you know, 54 years ago…

Think the Dodgers can’t come back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Braves in the NLCS? Why? They did it last year.

“You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.” That’s a Case Keenum quote. I’ve always liked Case Keenum, who gets the start for the Browns tonight in place of the injured Baker Mayfield. Now we’ll see if Teddy B. (quad, foot) can go for the Broncos, who after starting the season 3-0 have since dropped three straight.

I’m delighted for Whitney Mercilus, who will apparently land with the Packers after being cut loose by the Texans. Whitney says he wants to win. He will have a chance to do just that.

The NFL trade deadline is less than two weeks away. It wasn’t very long ago that you NEVER saw a player-for-player midseason swap. Now, it’s commonplace.

The Packers wouldn’t move Jordan Love as a long-term peace offering to Aaron Rodgers, would they?

One way or the other, I think Deshaun Watson is headed to Miami. It’s pretty clear to me now that Tua can’t play. Yes, he is a great young man.  Who doesn’t like Tua? He’s very likable. He also is a sight thrower, can’t throw guys open, is late on his reads and his frame is too slight to survive.

Jared Goff says he’s angry and bitter about the way it ended for him with the Rams. Understandable. It was poorly handled by Rams Coach Sean McVay. But Goff and his new team, the Lions, are nevertheless going to get rolled by Matthew Stafford and the Rams Sunday in L.A.  That’ll be 0-7 for the Lions, if you’re still counting.

You think playing QB in the NFL is an easy way to make a living? How does the term “throat contusion” sound to you? Joe Burrow is a tough hombre. You knew that. But what you also need to know is that his Bengals are becoming a very solid team. The Stripes will give the Ravens all they can handle Sunday in Ballmerr.

The Gruden Thing will blow over, if it hasn’t already. But you want a REAL scandal in the NFL? Follow the issue of “race norming” in awarding Black former players injury compensation from the concussion/CTE fund pool. This is disgusting. And it’s going to get really ugly.

I want to thank Chris Duel once again for inviting me to fill in for him Monday on The Ticket in San Antonio. Big fun! And working with Shannon “Salty” Sweeney was a kick. She asked me a perfectly legitimate question about who I thought might land the head coaching jobs at LSU and USC. I kinda hemmed and hawed my way through that. So, here goes. First off, Jimbo ain’t going nowhere.  LSU? James Franklin might make the most sense. Michigan State’s Mel Tucker would be a good fit, too. And do you think the Tigers might make a run at Lane Kiffin? Hmmm.

The Trojans? They’ll make a run at Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell, who will turn them down.  Former Washington Huskies’ Coach Chris Peterson knows the Pac-12 terrain. But I’ll take a flyer.  Iowa State’s Matt Campbell, who may have ridden that Cyclone as far as he can in Ames.

Oh, and Urban (don’t call me rural) will be back on the street very soon.

Finally, I’m busted.  BB went to bed early last night.  I stayed up to watch some tv. BB comes rushing into the living room. “I heard a basketball horn! You’re watching basketball? On October 20?”

Yeah, all right, dammit. I just surfed over the Celtics and Knicks for a couple of minutes. As a life rule I do not acknowledge the NBA’s existence until Valentine’s Day. I’m busted. And ashamed of myself.