OUT
As for the game, the Houston Astros showed why they've been close to or in the World Series for the last 5 years now. The Boston Red Sox had a 3-1 lead after 5 innings but the vaunted Astros offense demolished the Red Sox bullpen for 4 runs in the later innings. Jose Altuve hit a 2 run home run off Tanner Houck to tie it in the sixth, Carlos Correa hit a solo home run off Hansel Robles to put the Astros up in the seventh and the Astros got another run in the eighth inning to ice it. Kike Hernandez provided the Sox only offense with a home run in the third and a home run in the ninth but it wasn't enough as the Astros drew first blood with a 5-4 Game 1 win at Minute Maid Park.
Framber Valdez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez led off by beating the shift with a base hit to start. Kyle Schwarber banged into a double play although Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. Rafael Devers blooped a base hit right in front of Alex Bregman and Bogaerts motored around to third. JD Martinez walked to load the bases but Hunter Renfroe lined out to center to end the inning. The Astros wasted no time getting to Sale in the bottom of the first as Jose Altuve walked to start. Michael Brantley lined out to center but Alex Bregman singled to left. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Yordan Alvarez scored Altuve with a sac fly to left. Carlos Correa grounded out to second to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second although Alex Verdugo got a base hit to left to start. Christian Arroyo banged into a double play and Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. Sale got in trouble again in the bottom of the second as Kyle Tucker popped up to second to start. Yuli Gurriel and Chas McCormick both singled to left before Martin Maldonado was plunked to load the bases. Somehow Sale struck out Altuve swinging and Hernandez made a great diving catch to end the inning.
Speaking of Hernandez, it was him who hit a leadoff home run to tie the game in the top of the third to start the frame. Schwarber grounded out to short but Bogaerts walked. Devers singled to center and Altuve booted a grounder by Martinez to score Bogaerts on the error. Renfroe doubled to left to score Devers but Verdugo struck out swinging to chase Valdez. Yimi Garcia came in and Arroyo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.
Dr Quick Hook Cora appeared in the bottom of the third although Bregman grounded out to short to start. Alvarez and Correa stroked back to back base hits but Sale struck out Tucker swinging. Sox manager Alex Cora bounded out of the dugout and decided to cut his losses before any further damage could be done, pulling Sale after just 8 outs. Adam Ottavino got Gurriel to ground out to second to end the inning but the Sox bullpen now had to get the next 19 outs.
Cristian Javier came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Vazquez flied out to right to start. Hernandez doubled to left but Schwarber struck out swinging. Bogaerts also went down hacking to end the inning. Ottavino cruised in the bottom of the fourth as McCormick struck out swinging to start. Maldonado flied out to right and Altuve grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Devers flied out to right to start. Martinez took strike three and Renfroe went down hacking to end the inning. Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Brantley singled to center to start. Bregman flied out to center and Alvarez struck out swinging to bring Cora out of the dugout. Ryan Brasier was summoned to face Correa and Carlos ripped a base hit to left. Tucker lined out to center to end the inning with no damage.
Phil Maton came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Verdugo walked to start. Arroyo looked to have actually beat out a bunt attempt but Astros manager Dusty Baker challenged the call. Sure enough, Arroyo was called out and all Vazquez could do was move Verdugo to third with a grounder. Hernandez went down hacking to end the inning. Taylor Houck came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the sixth as Gurriel hit one up the elevator shaft to start. McCormick singled to center but Maldonado flied out to left. The Sox were 10 outs from victory but naturally Altuve hit a home run all the way to San Antonio to tie the game. Brantley took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Brooks Raley came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Schwarber singled to left to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Devers flied out to center to chase Raley. Ryan Stanek came in and Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning. The Astros took command in the bottom of the seventh with Hansel Robles now on the mound. Bregman grounded out to short to start and Alvarez went down hacking....but Correa hit a home run all the way to Austin, Texas to put the Astros up for good. Tucker grounded out to first to end the inning with the Astros up 4-3.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the eighth as Kendall Graveman came in to pitch. Danny Santana pinch hit for Renfroe and struck out swinging before Verdugo flied out to center. Arroyo got a base hit to left and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Vazquez only to fly out to right to end the inning. Kevin Plawecki came in to catch with Hiro Sawamura in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Gurriel walked, McCormick singled to left and Maldonado was plunked to load the bases with nobody out. Altuve hit a sac fly to score Gurriel and that was it for Sawamura. Martin Perez came in to get Brantley to hit into a double play to end the inning but the Astros had iced it with a 5-3 lead.
Safe at home
Ryan Pressly came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez greeted him with a solo home run to put the Sox within one. That was it though as Schwarber grounded out to second, Bogaerts grounded out to short and Devers grounded out to short as well to end the game. The Astros had survived Kike Hernandez and won the game 5-4.
Jackass of the Night is Hiro Sawamura. The run he was allowed ended up being the difference in the game.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 4 for 5 with 2 solo home runs.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3.
The Bad:
Danny Santana struck out as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored a run.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Honorable Mention:
Kevin Plawecki caught the bottom of the eighth.
Final Thoughts:
This game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox bats were silenced by the Astros bullpen after Framber Valdez was out of the game and the Sox bullpen imploded after the fifth inning. The Astros offense is damn good, the second best in all of baseball, but the Sox can't afford to get into grinders with them. Chris Sale once again wasn't ready for primetime and the Sox are better off shutting him down if this continues. At this point Martin Perez has a better chance to go 5 innings than Sale does. Even then, had Houck, Sawamura and Robles done their job the Sox would have won. Thankfully this is only the first game and its a Best of 7. This is no time to panic but this definitely was a lot more disconcerting if they had simply lost 7-1 or 9-8. Still, Hernandez is on a roll and hopefully the Sox just took their best punch and can come back tomorrow. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon in Game 2 when Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Sox up against Luis Garcia of the Astros. The game begins at 4:20 PM at Minute Maid Park
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