It’s time to party.
After losing Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox steamrolled the defending World Series champion Houston Astros, winning four games in a row, punctuated by a 4-1 win in Game 5 on Thursday night, to book their ticket to the World Series.
David Price started on three days rest, striking out nine in six shutout innings to earn his first career postseason win as a starter. J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each hit home runs off Astros ace Justin Verlander to carry the offensive load and help the Red Sox win the AL title.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Champagne.
This one speaks for itself.
ON THE BUMP
— Price sat down Houston’s first two batters in the opening frame before giving up a single to Jose Altuve, but the left-hander struck out Carlos Correa looking to end the inning. The left-hander gave up a leadoff single to Yuli Gurriel in the second, but retired the next three batters in order.
After the Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, Price recorded a 1-2-3 shutdown frame in the bottom half of the inning. The left-hander struck out the side in the fourth, giving him seven strikeouts through four.
The left-hander tossed a 1-2-3 fifth with one strikeout, and then recorded a perfect sixth with one K.
Price tossed six shutout innings, allowing three hits while striking out nine and walking zero.
— Matt Barnes was tabbed for the seventh. The right-hander quickly got the first two outs but then gave up a solo home run to Marwin Gonzalez to trim the lead to 4-1. Barnes followed that by issuing a walk to Tony Kemp before being lifted from the game.
— Nathan Eovaldi relieved Barnes and got Josh Reddick to fly out to end the seventh. The right-hander gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth.
— Craig Kimbrel worked a scoreless ninth to earn the save and send Boston to the Fall Classic.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox threatened in the second when they loaded the bases with two outs thanks to an error, a Christian Vazquez single and a Jackie Bradley Jr. walk. Verlander buckled down, though, blowing a 1-2 fastball by Mookie Betts to end the inning.
— Martinez got the Red Sox on the board by blasting a solo home run in the third inning.
— Boston extended its lead in the sixth when Mitch Moreland led off with a double and moved to third on an Ian Kinsler single. Devers brought everyone home by hammering a fastball into the Crawford Boxes in left to make it 4-0.
— Martinez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run. Moreland and Kinsler each had two hits as well.
— Devers went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. Vazquez went 1-for-3.
— Andrew Benintendi, Bradley, Betts and Bogaerts did not record a hit.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Good company.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will play Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway Park on Tuesday. Chris Sale is set to take the ball for Boston.
