Red Sox Wrap: Bats Quiet For Garrett Richards In 5-1 Loss To Astros

The Boston Red Sox won’t be able to win the series against Houston after the Astros took their second game Tuesday by a 5-1 verdict.

Garrett Richards gave his team six full innings and handed the ball to the bullpen in a one-run game, but Houston’s bats built insurance off Boston’s relievers and the Red Sox offense couldn’t hang for the second straight game.

Luis García got the win on the mound for Houston, striking out six Boston batters while the Astros pitchers allowed just five hits.

Alex Verdugo had two hits at the plate and Hunter Renfroe continued his hot streak, too. But with the loss, Boston falls to 32-22 on the season.

Here’s how it all went down:

GAME IN A WORD
Anticlimactic.

The Red Sox couldn’t capitalize in the fifth — their best opportunity on offense — and it was downhill from there.

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ON THE MOUND
— Richards went six innings for Boston, but a leadoff homer to José Altuve got him off on the wrong foot. Aside from four walks and four hits, he put together a good outing allowing just two earned runs. He struck out five batters, throwing 53 of 97 pitches for strikes.

— Richards handed the game off to reliever Hirokazu Sawamura, who recorded one out while giving up three runs off a hit and two walks.

— Garret Whitlock got Boston out of the seventh and pitched the eighth. He gave up three hits and two walks but held the Astros scoreless with two strikeouts. He threw 21 of his 35 pitches for strikes.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston bats were pretty quiet until the fifth, where Renfroe (1-for-4, one run, one walk) led the inning off with a double and advanced to third after a single from Danny Santana. Marwin González hit a grounder for the second out, but the sacrifice scored Renfroe to get the Red Sox on the board.

— Verdugo was 2-for-4 on the night, while Christian Vázquez also had hit.

UP NEXT
Two more games against the Astros in Houston will finish off the series, with first pitch Wednesday at 8:10 p.m. ET from Minute Maid Park.