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10-09-2017, 10:58 PM
BOSTON -- The Astros looked to be in danger of going back to Houston for a winner-take-all Game 5 of this American League Division Series presented by Doosan, but instead they are headed home to prepare for the AL Championship Series.
Backed by a game-tying homer by Alex Bregman off Red Sox ace Chris Sale to lead off the eighth and a two-out RBI single later in the inning by Josh Reddick off closer Craig Kimbrel, the Astros won their first postseason series since the 2005 National League Championship Series and will face either the Yankees or the Indians in the ALCS presented by Camping World.
⢠ALCS Game 1: Friday, Time TBD on FOX or FS1
Andrew Benintendi gave the Red Sox hope for a Game 5 when he greeted Astros ace Justin Verlander -- who was used in relief in this one like Sale -- with a two-run homer to right to make it 3-2, Boston, in the fifth. But it was Verlander's only damaging pitch, and he went on to get the win.
The drama started building when Sale came on to start the fourth with Boston down by a run at 2-1.
And it got even spicier when Houston manager A.J. Hinch went to Verlander with one out in the fifth. Benintendi brought elation to Fenway with his two-run homer, but it was short-lived.
Sale had cruised through his first four innings, allowing two hits and no runs. He was at 65 pitches when he came back out for the eighth.
Bregman changed the game when he belted Sale's 2-1 changeup over the Monster to open the inning. With a runner on and two outs, George Springer worked Kimbrel for a walk. Reddick, who started his career with the Red Sox, put the Astros in front when he got enough of a 99.3-mph heater and put it into left for the RBI single.
The Astros added an insurance run against Kimbrel in the ninth, and that wound up being big when Red Sox rookie Rafael Devers led off the bottom of the ninth with an inside-the-park homer against closer Ken Giles that took a wild carom off the wall in left-center and just kept rolling.
Just as in every other game of the series, the Astros scored in the first inning to take the lead. This time, it was a trade-off the Red Sox didn't mind taking because the run came on a 1-4-6-3 double play that starter Rick Porcello induced off the bat of the dangerous Jose Altuve.
Xander Bogaerts erased the deficit with one swing in the bottom of first, when he smashed a solo homer to end his 0-for-14 drought in the series.
Porcello (three innings, five hits, two run) walked the tight rope again in the second, allowing an RBI single to Springer and loading the bases with two outs. But Porcello got one of the biggest outs of the early innings, striking out Correa and keeping it a 2-1 game.
In the bottom of the second, Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected for arguing a called third strike on Dustin Pedroia. Bench coach Gary DiSarcina managed the rest of the game.
Astros starter Charlie Morton gave up seven hits and two runs over 4 1/3 innings.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/257993804/...e-to-alcs/
Backed by a game-tying homer by Alex Bregman off Red Sox ace Chris Sale to lead off the eighth and a two-out RBI single later in the inning by Josh Reddick off closer Craig Kimbrel, the Astros won their first postseason series since the 2005 National League Championship Series and will face either the Yankees or the Indians in the ALCS presented by Camping World.
⢠ALCS Game 1: Friday, Time TBD on FOX or FS1
Andrew Benintendi gave the Red Sox hope for a Game 5 when he greeted Astros ace Justin Verlander -- who was used in relief in this one like Sale -- with a two-run homer to right to make it 3-2, Boston, in the fifth. But it was Verlander's only damaging pitch, and he went on to get the win.
The drama started building when Sale came on to start the fourth with Boston down by a run at 2-1.
And it got even spicier when Houston manager A.J. Hinch went to Verlander with one out in the fifth. Benintendi brought elation to Fenway with his two-run homer, but it was short-lived.
Sale had cruised through his first four innings, allowing two hits and no runs. He was at 65 pitches when he came back out for the eighth.
Bregman changed the game when he belted Sale's 2-1 changeup over the Monster to open the inning. With a runner on and two outs, George Springer worked Kimbrel for a walk. Reddick, who started his career with the Red Sox, put the Astros in front when he got enough of a 99.3-mph heater and put it into left for the RBI single.
The Astros added an insurance run against Kimbrel in the ninth, and that wound up being big when Red Sox rookie Rafael Devers led off the bottom of the ninth with an inside-the-park homer against closer Ken Giles that took a wild carom off the wall in left-center and just kept rolling.
Just as in every other game of the series, the Astros scored in the first inning to take the lead. This time, it was a trade-off the Red Sox didn't mind taking because the run came on a 1-4-6-3 double play that starter Rick Porcello induced off the bat of the dangerous Jose Altuve.
Xander Bogaerts erased the deficit with one swing in the bottom of first, when he smashed a solo homer to end his 0-for-14 drought in the series.
Porcello (three innings, five hits, two run) walked the tight rope again in the second, allowing an RBI single to Springer and loading the bases with two outs. But Porcello got one of the biggest outs of the early innings, striking out Correa and keeping it a 2-1 game.
In the bottom of the second, Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected for arguing a called third strike on Dustin Pedroia. Bench coach Gary DiSarcina managed the rest of the game.
Astros starter Charlie Morton gave up seven hits and two runs over 4 1/3 innings.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/257993804/...e-to-alcs/
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