Red Sox's Alex Cora: 'You Tip Your Cap' to Framber Valdez After Dominant Game 5
Oct 21, 2021
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora gestures during batting practice before Game 4 of baseball's American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Boston Red Sox offense went silent in Wednesday's 9-1 loss to the Astros in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.
After Houston starting pitcher Framber Valdez dominated through eight innings of work, Boston manager Alex Cora had nothing but respect for his performance.
"You tip your cap to him," Cora told reporters after the game, calling Valdez's sinker "unreal."
Valdez was perfect through four innings and carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh before allowing his lone earned run, a solo home run to Rafael Devers. He finished with five strikeouts in the victory.
Wednesday's game was the first time all series that an Astros starter lasted longer than three innings. Through the first four games, Houston's starting rotation had a collective 18.90 ERA, allowing 10 home runs and three grand slams.
With the win, the Astros took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Yordan Alvarez led the offense by going 3-for-5 with a solo home run, three RBI and two runs. Yuli Gurriel also went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI.
Valdez had been engaged in a pitching duel with Red Sox starter Chris Sale until the Astros blew the game open with five runs in the sixth inning. It was the second straight game that Houston plated nine runs.
Cora praised Sale's performance after the game and said he wasn't to blame for the loss.
"We didn't get enough outs as a group," Cora said.
The loss marks the first time Boston has lost consecutive postseason games with Cora as its manager.
The Red Sox will hope to stave off elimination in Houston on Friday for Game 6 of the ALCS.
Video: Fan Catches Shattered Bat with 1 Hand During ALCS Game 5 at Fenway Park
Oct 20, 2021
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 20: A base is put into place before game five of the 2021 American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on October 20, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Who says the only people who make spectacular plays during the American League Championship Series are the players?
One fan in particular at Fenway Park might have played the role of hero when a piece of Rafael Devers' shattered bat flew into the crowd near the first-base dugout. While a piece of bat with plenty of sharp edges flying through the air into the crowd can be a dangerous situation, the fan snagged it with one hand.
A piece of a shattered bat flew into the crowd at Fenway and a fan made an incredible catch. pic.twitter.com/dKPFqhdhZv
He also held it up in the air to receive a well-deserved round of applause.
The play happened when Devers was leading off the bottom of the second inning of Wednesday's Game 5 in the series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.
The series is tied at two games apiece and shifts back to Houston for Friday's Game 6.
Red Sox's Nathan Eovaldi Thought Crucial Pitch vs. Jason Castro in 9th Was a Strike
Oct 20, 2021
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 19: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning of Game Four of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 19, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi
said he thought his 1-2 pitch to Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro
should have been called a strike, which would have ended the top of
the ninth inning with the score tied at two.
Instead, it was called a ball by home
plate plate umpire Laz Diaz, and Castro went on to deliver an RBI
single that sparked the Astros' seven-run ninth as part of a 9-2 win
in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday
night.
"I thought it was a strike, but
again, I'm in the moment. I'm trying to make my pitches,"
Eovaldi said, per ESPN's Joon Lee. "I'm attacking the zone."
While Boston fans flocked to social
media with pitch-tracking data that showed the pitch was a strike
and the overhead replay confirmed the ball caught the plate, a curveball
in that spot is notoriously difficult to call for an umpire.
Lee noted data from ESPN Stats &
Information estimated the chance that curveball is called a strike,
despite being one by the textbook definition, is just 23 percent.
The missed call capped a lackluster
night behind the plate for Diaz, who erred on 23 ball-strike calls, a
new single-game high for any umpire in the 2021 MLB playoffs, per
Lee. The errors were evenly spread out, with
12 coming while the Red Sox were pitching and 11 with the Astros
manning the mound, but none were more important than the one that
kept Castro's at-bat alive.
Houston, which tied the game with a
Jose Altuve home run in the eighth, had seven straight runners reach
base starting with the Castro single in the ninth to pull away late in Game 4. The
ALCS is now tied 2-2.
"Where that pitch started, I
didn't think it was one I could pull the trigger on," Castro
said. "It was a ball, then I was able to move on to the next
pitch."
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he
didn't want to get thrown out of the game for arguing the call, but
noted "we thought that pitch was a strike."
Alex Cora on Eovaldi's 1-2 pitch to Castro in the 9th: "A lot of people thought that was a strike."
The ALCS resumes Wednesday with Game 5
at Fenway Park as the Red Sox send Chris Sale to the mound to face
off with the Astros' Framber Valdez. It's a pitching rematch from
Game 1, which saw Houston score a 5-4 win after both starters lasted
just 2.2 innings.
First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m.
ET on Fox Sports 1.
Alex Cora: Nathan Eovaldi Was 'Going to Give Us One Inning' in Game 4 vs. Astros
Oct 20, 2021
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 19: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Boston Red Sox is taken out of the game in the ninth inning of Game Four of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on October 19, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora called on Game 2 starter Nathan Eovaldi to pitch the top of the ninth inning in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday night, with the score knotted at 2-2.
The result was not pretty. Eovaldi took the loss after giving up two hits, two walks and four runs, part of a seven-run outburst by the Houston Astros that resulted in a 9-2 victory. The series is now tied at two games apiece.
After the game, Cora explained his mindset in turning to the starting pitcher for the crucial inning.
"He was going to give us one inning and we felt that pocket was good for him," he told reporters.
While there will undoubtedly be questions about Cora's decision to turn to Eovaldi three days after he started and pitched 5.1 innings in Game 2, the bigger point of controversy following the game—especially in Boston—was home-plate umpire Laz Diaz appearing to miss a strike-three call in Jason Castro's at-bat that would have ended the inning, with the game still tied.
That's game. This "ball" led to Nate Eovaldi being charged four runs and the #RedSox dropping Game 4. Should've been tied, going to the bottom of the ninth. pic.twitter.com/zjOIOX7oHd
Home-plate umpire Laz Diaz has missed 21 ball-strike calls tonight, according to @ESPNStatsInfo. That is the most of any umpire this postseason. The green dot in the upper RH corner is the Eovaldi curveball that would've ended top of the ninth with the score 2-2.
"I've got to take a look," Cora told reporters after the game about the controversial call. "... A lot of people thought it was a strike."
"I thought it was a strike," Eovaldi added.
Nathan Eovaldi on missed strike three call: "I thought it was a strike... felt like I made a good pitch on the outside corner" pic.twitter.com/dSg2U4eUS9
Granted, it was Eovaldi who gave up a double to Carlos Correa to open the inning, and after intentionally walking Yuli Gurriel, it was Eovaldi who gave up the game-winning single to Castro and then walked Jose Altuve.
No, he didn't give up the three-run double to Michael Brantley. That distinction belonged to Martin Perez. But Eovaldi was responsible for all three runs. Bad call or not, he still struggled Tuesday night.
Cora and the Red Sox won't have much time to lick their wounds, with Game 5 at Fenway Park at 5:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Alex Cora on Eduardo Rodriguez Mimicking Carlos Correa: 'We Don't Have to Do That'
Oct 19, 2021
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 18: Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning of Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 18, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said
he told starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez that mimicking Houston
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa's celebration was a mistake.
Rodriguez pointed toward his wrist Monday night after getting Correa to ground out in the sixth inning, which is the
same thing the Astros star did after a home run in Game 1 of the
American League Championship Series.
"We just show up, we play, and we
move on, and he knows," Cora told reporters. "I let him
know. We don't have to do that. If we're looking for motivation
outside of what we're trying to accomplish, we're in the wrong
business. The only motivation we have is to win four games against
them and move on to the next round."
Rodriguez explained he got caught up in
the moment as Boston cruised to a 12-3 win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 advantage in
the series.
"That was part of the moment,"
he said. "... I will apologize to Correa if I see him in person
because that's not something I normally do. It was just part of the
game."
Alex Cora was not pleased with Eduardo Rodríguez after he mocked Carlos Correa. pic.twitter.com/QCSHEz7lfE
Correa's celebration came after he
crushed a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 1. The Astros
held on for a 5-4 win in the series opener, but the Red Sox have won
the last two contests.
The shortstop said an apology from the
Boston starter wouldn't be necessary and he hoped more players would
be willing to show emotion in key moments, which he views as a
positive for baseball.
"I thought it was kind of cool,"
Correa told reporters. "It's just the way baseball should trend
going forward. We talk about baseball growing and more people coming
to watch the sport, you need to have more things like that. You need
to let people have fun and the game should move in that direction,
where you can show emotions and be yourself and keep it real."
While Correa is right that it adds to
the entertainment value for fans, a lot of key people within baseball,
including many of those in executive and coaching positions, still
believe in the sport's unwritten rules, so those types of outward
expressions are likely years away from becoming the norm.
Cora said his message to Rodriguez, who
he pulled aside for a conversation immediately after the moment, was
simple: "Don't do that."
The right-hander delivered a strong
start in Game 3, giving up three earned runs on five hits and no
walks across six innings. He struck out seven and earned the win.
Boston, which has averaged 8.8 runs in
its six wins so far this postseason, will aim to take a commanding
3-1 series lead in Game 4 at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
The Red Sox are scheduled to send Nick
Pivetta (4.53 regular-season ERA) to the mound against the Astros'
Zack Greinke (4.16) in the critical game.
First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. ET on
Fox Sports 1.
Astros Look Cooked as Slam-Happy Red Sox in Firm Control of ALCS After Game 3
Oct 19, 2021
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 18: Kyle Schwarber #18 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Hunter Renfroe #10 after Schwarber hit a grand slam home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 18, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Officially, the baseball game played at Fenway Park on Monday night was Game 3 of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.
Unofficially, let's call it "The Boston Tee-Off Party."
After avenging a loss in Game 1 by banging out a record-setting two grand slams and nine runs to beat Houston in Game 2, the Red Sox kept right on rolling with a 12-3 rout in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. They're two wins away from their fifth World Series appearance since 2004.
The Red Sox hit "only" one grand slam this time, but it was a 430-foot dandy off the bat of Kyle Schwarber in the second inning:
With that, the Red Sox have as many grand slams just in the last two games of the ALCS as they had throughout their 162-game regular season. Because, you know, baseball just wouldn't be baseball without your daily dose of statistical weirdness.
For the Astros' part, exactly how their offense is supposed to hang with the Red Sox's isn't even the most ominous question looming over them as they dwell in their 2-1 hole.
Red Sox Players of the Game
1B Kyle Schwarber: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI. He now has three home runs this postseason, all of which have come out of his new post in the leadoff spot.
2B Christian Arroyo, DH J.D. Martinez and 3B Rafael Devers: These three also got in on Boston's home run fun with two-run homers in the third and sixth and a solo homer in the eighth, respectively.
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 R, 7 K. Apart from one mistake in the fourth inning, the left-hander was absolutely on point with the 97 pitches that he threw. Coming on the heels of his excellent turn in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, he seems to have turned a corner.
Astros Players of the Game
RF Kyle Tucker: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB. He's the guy who took advantage of Rodriguez's one mistake, crushing it to right field for a three-run home run that temporarily slimmed Boston's lead to 9-3. So it goes, as Tucker has been the sturdiest rock in Houston's lineup since May.
LHP Blake Taylor: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 1 K. Hey, kudos to him for being the only one of six pitchers used by the Astros in Game 3 who didn't get scored upon.
Even Fire Thinks the Red Sox Offense Needs to Chill
If you were to come into possession of a time machine, you wouldn't need to travel that far back in history to find a moment when the Red Sox's offense didn't look at all cut out for a deep playoff run.
That moment was Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. In it, the Red Sox managed only nine singles and got shut out in a 5-0 loss. That rendered them with about a 30 percent chance of winning the series, which actually seemed high.
Things have, uh, let's say, changed since then.
Starting with their 14-run outburst in Game 2 of the ALDS, the Red Sox are now hitting .333 over their last six games. No single batting title qualifier even hit that well during the regular season, much less with power like Boston is generating.
The Red Sox have already hit nine home runs in the ALCS, seven of which have come just in the last two games. They're also up to 20 homers for the playoffs as a whole, which Sarah Langs of MLB.com noted is record territory for an eight-game sample:
The Red Sox have hit 20 HR this postseason, tied for the most by a team thru 8 games of a postseason run, with the 2004 Astros (20)
Perhaps just as remarkable is that it isn't a small handful of hitters driving Boston's October dominance.
Sure, Enrique Hernandez is batting .500 with five home runs just on his own. But he's ultimately just one part of a front seven—typically Hernandez, Schwarber, Xander Bogaerts, Devers, Martinez, Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe—that's collectively hitting .345 with all but two of Boston's playoff homers.
It's not as if the Red Sox's offense wasn't also good during the regular season, as it was indeed quite strong in scoring 5.1 runs per game. But right now, manager Alex Cora is seeing what everyone else is seeing:
Alex Cora: “Offensively, this is the best we’ve been all season.”
Looking ahead to the next two games of the series, the sheer hotness of the Red Sox's offense isn't the only bad omen for the Astros. Both of these games will also be at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox had an MLB-high .831 OPS even before October set their bats ablaze.
The Red Sox could also be in worse shape pitching-wise. It was crucial that Rodriguez set a positive tone and allow the club's relievers to rest in the first of three games over three days. He handily accomplished both missions on Monday, thereby allowing Cora to rest Garrett Whitlock and his other top high-leverage arms.
The Astros Are Kinda-Sorta-Very in Trouble
As hopes go, the best one the Astros have working for them is the prospect that Boston's diabolically hot offense will regress to the mean (i.e., cool off) eventually.
Of course, this is largely contingent on Houston's pitching staff finding ways to silence the frequent loud noises coming off Boston's bats. That obviously hasn't happened so far, mostly because Astros starting pitchers have been completely overmatched:
Houston starters have a 20.25 ERA in the ALCS. @mlbnetwork
To quote Astros manager Dusty Baker, per Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle: "It's kind of like a groundhog day, a recurring nightmare."
Alas, ace right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) won't be walking through that door in this series. It's also unlikely that rookie Luis Garcia will be seen again after exiting a difficult outing in Game 2 with a strained knee.
As he hadn't pitched since the last day of the regular season on Oct. 3, the Astros turned to Jose Urquidy to start Game 3 out of a lack of better options more than anything else. Baker is now making a similar call with Zack Greinke:
On the plus side, Greinke is an 18-year veteran and potentially a future Hall of Famer who's no stranger to October. On the less-plus side, he's made just two relief appearances since laying three straight eggs as a starter between Aug. 29 and Sept. 19.
Houston's bullpen, meanwhile, is the opposite of rested. It had to pick up all but 3.2 innings of the first two games of the series, and once again had a heavy workload dumped upon it in Game 3 after Urquidy recorded only five outs. Unless Greinke and whoever starts Game 5 miraculously go deep, there won't be any rest for the weary in the next two games.
As such, there's probably only one way that the Astros are going to come back and beat the Red Sox in this series. Somehow, someway, they have to outslug them.
This should at least be in the neighborhood of doable. The Astros did lead the majors with 863 runs scored during the regular season, after all, and their offense was in fine form as it cranked out 31 runs in four games against the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.
In this series, however, the Red Sox are making the Astros scratch and claw for runs. It certainly hasn't helped that Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley and Alex Bregman have turned the top three spots in Houston's lineup into a block of ice. They're hitting just .139 in the ALCS.
Lest anyone concludes that the Astros' situation is entirely hopeless, they could change everything with just one win in Boston. That would ensure that this series will return to Houston, where the Astros went 51-30 this season.
But if Han Solo was here, he'd wish the Astros good luck with that. Not just because it's polite, but because they're gonna need it.
What's Next for the Red Sox and Astros?
Game 4 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Fenway Park, with Greinke set to be opposed by Boston right-hander Nick Pivetta.
Neither club has announced a starter for Game 5 on Wednesday, but it'll likely be a rematch between the starters for Game 1 of the series on Friday, Oct. 15: Framber Valdez for the Astros and Chris Sale for the Red Sox.
Red Sox Beat Astros in ALCS Game 2 Behind J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers Grand Slams
Oct 17, 2021
Boston Red Sox's Rafael Devers celebrates a grand slam home run against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game 2 of baseball's American League Championship Series Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Boston Red Sox rebounded with an impressive 9-5victory over the Houston Astros in Game 2 on Saturday to even the American League Championship Series at one game each.
J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers supplied the offense early. Both players hit a grand slam to spot the Red Sox with an eight-run lead after the top of the second.
After the bullpen's struggles on Friday night, Red Sox manager Alex Cora sent his ace Nathan Eovaldi to the mound looking to steal a game in Houston. The right-hander entered with three runs allowed in 10.1 innings over two starts this postseason.
The Astros countered with Luis Garcia, who allowed five runs over 2.2 innings to the Chicago White Sox in his only start of the American League Division Series.
Garcia only lasted one inning before being removed with an apparent injury. Eovaldi allowed three runs over 5.1 innings to earn his second win of the postseason.
Notable Game Stats
Nathan Eovaldi (BOS): 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 3 K
J.D. Martinez (BOS): 2-for-5, Grand Slam, 4 RBI
Rafael Devers (BOS): 1-for-4, Grand Slam, 4 RBI
Enrique Hernandez (BOS): 2-for-4, Solo HR, RBI, 2 runs
Luis Garcia (HOU): 1 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, HR
Jake Odorizzi (HOU): 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 HR
Yuli Gurriel (HOU): 2-for-4, Solo HR, 3 RBI
Red Sox Stars Shine in Big Win
There are some teams that would get down on themselves coming off a difficult playoff loss in which they led most of the way.
The Red Sox wasted no time in Game 2 proving they were not dwelling on Friday's result. Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a double. Devers worked a walk in his first at-bat after falling behind 0-2 in the count.
Martinez, who has been dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of the wild-card game, took the second pitch he saw from Garcia out to right field for a grand slam.
The second inning played out in similar fashion for the Red Sox. Garcia was pulled after walking Kevin Plawecki on four pitches to lead off the frame.
After a prolonged warm-up period for Jake Odorizzi, Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez both singled to load the bases. Devers brought everyone home with a grand slam that put Boston up 8-0 and made history in the process.
The Red Sox offense didn't keep up its torrid early pace from the first two innings, but Hernandez made sure to get in on the action. Continuing his red-hot postseason performance, the 30-year-old took Odorizzi deep to left field in the top of the fourth.
The Red Sox are the first team in MLB history with two grand slams in the first two innings of a postseason game. pic.twitter.com/2dxJwJoFbU
The nine runs of support was more than enough for Eovaldi. He was fantastic the first time through Houston's lineup, with Alex Bregman's single being the only hit allowed through the first three innings.
Even though the Astros did break through with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, they were never able to sustain another rally to make the game close.
Boston's bullpen has been a cause for concern all season, including Game 1, but that group stepped up in Saturday's win. Adam Ottavino, who pitched on back-to-back days for the first time since Oct. 1-2, worked around trouble in the bottom of the sixth to get the final two outs.
Garrett Whitlock tossed two scoreless innings, and had some help thanks to Arroyo's defense at second base.
Darwinzon Hernandez did have some issues in the bottom of the ninth. Yuli Gurriel and Jason Castro each hit a solo homer off him, prompting Red Sox manager Alex Cora to bring in Ryan Brasier to close out the win.
Garcia's Injury Spotlights Astros Pitching Depth
It's a testament to Houston's development group that its starting rotation hasn't fallen off a cliff in the nearly two years since Gerrit Cole left to sign with the New York Yankees and the year-plus since Justin Verlander last pitched because of Tommy John surgery.
Even though the pitching staff doesn't have the same dominant starters at the top, the Astros do have quality depth. That has served them well this postseason, especially with two dud outings by Garcia.
Houston may have been counting on Garcia to at least provide some relief for the bullpen in this game after that group had to cover 6.1 innings in Game 1. It was a risky proposition to begin with, given his struggles in the ALDS and that he only made it through six innings once in his last six starts of the regular season.
Luis Garcia walked the eight-hole hitter on four pitches to start the second. This could unravel soon.
That didn't happen, leaving the Astros relievers to take care of the final eight innings in Game 2.
Luis Garcia is coming out of this game with an injury. The Astros' bullpen will have to cover 8 innings today after throwing 6 1/3 innings last night. Not ideal.
Per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, Garcia was removed with right knee discomfort. That could cause a bigger problem if he has to be taken off the ALCS roster and the Astros advance to the World Series.
Looking ahead, but if Luis Garcia does need to be replaced on the roster, it has to be approved by Major League Baseball. And, if he is, Garcia is automatically ineligible for the World Series should the Astros advance.
Odorizzi was called on out of the pen by manager Dusty Baker to replace Garcia. Even though his outing wasn't good, the right-hander was at least able to throw four innings to ease some of the burden on the rest of the relievers.
Houston's success is largely predicated on its offense overwhelming the opposing staff. The top four hitters in the lineup—Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Bregman, Yordan Alvarez—combined to go 2-for-16 with zero extra-base hits.
Jose Urquidy is currently the Astros' scheduled Game 3 starter, but he only threw 107 innings in the regular season and has yet to pitch in the playoffs. It's not a great sign for Baker if he's hoping to get some quality length out of his rotation for the first time in the series.
What's Next?
The ALCS will shift to Fenway Park for Game 3 on Monday at 8:08 p.m. ET on FS1. Jose Urquidy will start for the Astros. The Red Sox have yet to announce a starting pitcher.
Video: Red Sox Become 1st Team in MLB History with 2 Grand Slams in Postseason Game
Oct 16, 2021
Boston Red Sox's J.D. Martinez watches his grand slam against the Houston Astros during the first inning in Game 2 of baseball's American League Championship Series Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The Boston Red Sox made history early in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros on Saturday.
Thanks to J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers, the Red Sox became the first team in MLB history to hit two grand slams in a postseason game.
No team in postseason history had ever hit two grand slams in a single game, nevermind the first two innings
After Garcia exited with an apparent injury in the top of the second, Jake Odorizzi took over for the Astros on the mound. The right-hander gave up singles to Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez before Devers snuck one just inside the foul pole to give the Red Sox an 8-0 lead.
Before today, the last Red Sox player to hit a grand slam in the postseason was Jackie Bradley Jr. in Game 3 of the 2018 ALCS against the Astros. Boston went on to win that game 8-2 en route to winning the World Series.
The Red Sox missed an opportunity to steal Game 1 of the series Friday night. The bullpen allowed four runs over the final three innings in a 5-4 loss.
Based on the early returns from Game 2, the Red Sox are well-positioned to even things up before the series moves to Fenway Park.
Dusty Baker: Wasn't 'a Good Feeling' Seeing Kike Hernandez's HR During Live Interview
Oct 16, 2021
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker responds to questions during a baseball news conference in Houston, Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. The Astros host the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker is a
believer in the curse of a live in-game interview after Boston Red
Sox outfielder Kiké Hernandez hit a home run while Baker was talking
to the Fox broadcast team in the third inning of the teams' playoff
game Friday night.
The Astros were leading 1-0 in Game 1
of the American League Championship Series at the time of the
interview, and starting pitcher Framber Valdez had been rolling. The
Hernandez homer sparked a three-run third for the Red Sox, leading
Valdez to an early exit.
"I blame Fox for that," Baker told
reporters after Houston stormed back for a 5-4 win. "Because
invariably when you are doing it live, something usually always
happens. My mom is watching the game, so—really, I think I said,
'Oh, God.'"
He was a good sport as the interview
continued, joking about how far Hernandez hit the ball, but he said
afterward his internal dialogue was different.
"Yeah, it's not a good feeling
when you know you're live on air and you see that ball leaving the
ballpark," Baker said.
The Astros scored four runs from the
sixth to the eighth innings on the strength of home runs by Jose Altuve
and Carlos Correa to regain the lead. Hernandez homered again for
Boston in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to spark a comeback as Ryan
Pressly secured the save for Houston.
It'll be interesting to see whether
Baker continues to take part in live interviews for the remainder of
the series. During the regular season, those talks are usually taped
during the break between innings and subsequently aired, which makes
more sense for the managers.
Game 2 is scheduled for a 4:20 p.m. ET
first pitch Saturday on Fox.
Astros Win ALCS Game 1 5-4 over Red Sox Behind Carlos Correa Home Run
Oct 16, 2021
Houston Astros' Carlos Correa hits a home run against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning in Game 1 of baseball's American League Championship Series Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The first round goes to the Houston Astros.
Houston defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in Friday's Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve hit clutch home runs and led the way for the victors, who are looking to reach the World Series for the third time in five years.
Enrique Hernandez played well in the losing effort for the Red Sox, who now need to win four of the next six games to reach their second Fall Classic in four years.
There was a time when Chris Sale starting a game meant instant trouble for the opposition.
After all, he is a seven-time All-Star who finished in the top six of American League Cy Young voting seven years in a row from 2012 through 2018. However, he missed the 2020 campaign, made nine starts this season and allowed five runs in one inning during his last playoff appearance against the Tampa Bay Rays.
It looked as if he was well on his way to another brutal showing when Yordan Alvarez drove in Altuve with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and Houston loaded the bases in the second. However, Sale escaped when he struck out Altuve and was bailed out by an incredible diving catch from Hernandez on a sinking fly ball from Michael Brantley.
Houston also wasted an opportunity in the third inning with two runners on and one out, although it at least knocked Sale out of the game before Yuli Gurriel's ground out ended the threat.
The Astros let another chance slip away in the fifth when Kyle Tucker flew out with two runners on, but they finally broke through in the sixth when Altuve launched a game-tying two-run homer off Tanner Houck.
That was only the start of the home-run heroics, as Correa unloaded on a high fastball from Hansel Robles in the seventh to give Houston the lead. The two-time All-Star took some well-deserved time to admire his work, and the crowd responded to the moment accordingly.
Houston added an insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly from Altuve, which proved to be necessary when Hernandez continued his stellar play in the top of the ninth with his second homer.
Houston's Bullpen Silences Boston's Bats
Lance McCullers Jr. is not on Houston's ALCS roster because of a forearm injury, which puts more pressure on the rest of the starting staff to make up for the loss.
First up was Framber Valdez, who struggled in his one appearance against the Chicago White Sox when he gave up four runs in 4.1 innings. It was more of the same Friday, as he was unable to protect the Astros' early 1-0 lead thanks to a poor third inning.
Hernandez started the rally with a solo home run before Xander Bogaerts walked, moved to second on Rafael Devers' single and scored on an error by Altuve. Hunter Renfroe's double extended the lead to 3-1, and Boston suddenly went from comeback mode to protecting the lead.
Valdez's day also came to an end during that three-run third, although only two of the runs were earned.
Houston's bullpen deserves plenty of credit for keeping the team within striking distance after the slow start. Yimi Garcia, Cristian Javier, Phil Maton, Brooks Raley and Ryne Stanek slammed the door shut on the visitors in the middle innings, which allowed the offense to take the lead by playing long ball.
Things were a bit more tense in the late innings for the Houston crowd when Travis Shaw took Kendall Graveman to the warning track, and Hernandez went long against Ryan Pressly, but the back end of the bullpen did its job as well.
What's Next?
The series remains in Houston for Saturday's Game 2.
