Xander Bogaerts led off with a pop up to third and Eduardo Nunez blew his knee out again running to first on a groundout to third. He had to be carried off the field by Sox manager John Farrell. Andrew Benintendi whiffed badly on a slider in the dirt to end the inning, but the game itself was ominous.
Sale took the ball in the bottom of the first and struck out George Springer to start. Alex Bregman started the massacre with a solo blast to left to put the Astros on top. 2 seconds later Jose Altuve smashed an 859 foot home run to go back to back. Carlos Correa hit an absolute rocket but Mookie Betts ran it down in right. Evan Gattis hit another bullet but Benintendi ran it down in left to end the inning. Sale and the Sox were flat and it was 2-0 Astros.
The Sox bad baserunning cost them in the top of the second inning as Mookie Betts popped up to center to start. Somehow Mitch Moreland and Dustin Pedroia drew back to back walks but Rafael Devers swung at a pitch up in his eyes for strike three. Sandy Leon singled to center and Moreland broke for home, but old pal Josh Reddick threw to third and nailed Pedroia....BEFORE MORELAND SCORED! The run did not count and...wait...Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Moreland was safe. Turns out he was safe and the run counted, but the inning was over with the Astros up 2-1.
The Astros almost struck back in the bottom of the second as Reddick roped a single to right to start. Yuri Guriel hit a bullet to the centerfield wall but JBJ ran it down. Marwin Gonzalez whiffed but a passed ball moved Reddick to second. Brian McCann whiffed to end the inning but Sale had already thrown 50 pitches.
Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to center to start the top of the third before Bogaerts whiffed badly. Hanley Ramirez pinch hit for Nunez and somehow doubled to left. Benintendi popped up to third to end the inning. Sale struck out Springer to start the bottom of the third but Bregman singled. Altuve banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox miraculously tied the game in the top of the fourth inning as Betts led off with a double and Moreland singled him to third. Pedroia hit one up the elevator shaft but Devers scored Betts with a sac fly to tie the game. Leon singled but JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Sale fell apart in the bottom of the fourth inning although Correa popped up to second to start but Gattis doubled. JBJ damn near made a great diving catch to rob Josh Reddick but it was ruled a trap. Guriel flied out to right but Gonzalez doubled off the wall to score both runners. McCann popped up to short to end the inning but the Astros were up 4-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth inning as Bogaerts grounded out to short to begin. Ramirez did manage to get a base hit but Benintendi banged into a double play to end the inning. Sale looked to be in control in the bottom of the fifth when he struck out both Springer and Bregman...but Altuve blasted an 874 foot home run completely out of Minute Maid Park for his second dinger of the night. Correa grounded out to short but it was 5-2 Astros.
Verlander found his groove in the top of the sixth as Betts popped up to first, Moreland lined out to center and Pedroia grounded to third to end the inning. Sale returned for the bottom of the sixth but was quickly chased when Gattis doubled and Reddick walked. The big off-season acquisition that was the odds on favorite to win the Cy Young in July completely fell apart in September and lasted just 5 innings in the game that mattered.
Joe Kelly came in and Guriel singled to load the bases but somehow Kelly struck out Gonzalez. McCann singled home two runs before Springer beat out a double play ball. Bregman flied out to end the inning but it was 7-2 Astros.
With a 5 run lead against a pathetic offense, Astros manager AJ Hinch went to Chris Devenski to rest Verlander in the top of the seventh inning. Devers whiffed, Leon lined out to second and JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Austin Maddox made his post-season debut in the bottom of the seventh and Altuve greeted him with a 3,000 foot moonshot halfway to Montana for his third home run of the game. Move over Reggie Jackson. Correa flied out to center but Gattis walked. Derek Fisher pinch ran for Gattis but was thrown out trying to steal by the alert Leon. Reddick whiffed to end the inning but it was 8-2 Astros.
The Sox mailed it in at this point in the top of the eighth with Will Harris on the mound. Bogaerts lined out to center and Ramirez grounded out to short, but Benintendi and Betts hit back to back singles. Taking no chances, Hinch brought in lefty Fransisco Liriano to pitch to Moreland. Naturally Mitch grounded out to second to end the inning. None other than Rick Porcello came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and got Gurriel to line out to right to start. Gonzalez grounded out to first and McCann popped up to short to end the inning.
The torture came to an end in the top of the ninth with Joe Musgrove on the mound. Pedroia grounded out back to the mound, Devers flied out to left and Leon whiffed to end the game. The Astros easily defeated the Red Sox 8-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the ALDS.
Jackass of the Night is Chris Sale. The big hero completely pissed himself in his first post-season start by allowing 7 runs in just 5 plus innings, not giving the Sox a chance to win the game.
The Good:
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 filling in for Eduardo Nunez.
Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Sandy Leon was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Rick Porcello pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts were 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 1 before leaving with an injury.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Austin Maddox allowed a home run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Joe Kelly allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in an inning of work.
Final Thoughts:
Holy moly what a dud. Then again, EVERYONE saw it coming. The offense has been pathetic all year and the defense is facing arguably the best 1-9 lineup in baseball. If the Sox can't pitch well they have no chance and they didn't pitch well today. There's nothing that can be done at this point, especially if Eduardo Nunez is done for the year. The starters are going to have to pitch the games of their lives or this series is over in 3. Tomorrow afternoon Drew Pomeranz tries his luck against Dallas Kuechel in Game 2 of this series at 2:00 PM at Minute Maid Park.
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