The Red Sox’ comeback train stalled out in Game 4, with the team dropping a 5-4 decision to the Houston Astros in the ALDS, ending their season pre-maturely for the second straight October.
Trailing by two in the ninth, the Red Sox got a leadoff, inside-the-park home run from Rafael Devers. But Astros closer Ken Giles got the next three outs to secure the win and send Houston to the ALCS.
A pinch-hit double from Carlos Beltran in the top of the ninth provided what looked to be an insurance run, but it was very much needed by the Astros after the homer by Devers.
The Sox appeared to be riding a brilliant relief appearance from Chris Sale all the way back to Houston for a deciding Game 5 on Wednesday, as Sale took over from struggling starter Rick Porcello and gave the Sox four brilliant shutout innings out of the bullpen through the seventh.
But Sale was tagged for a leadoff homer by Alex Bregman to start the eighth and allowed a one-out single to Evan Gattis. Closer Craig Kimbrel took over and after a walk and a wild pitch, allowed a go-ahead single to Josh Reddick, scoring pinch-runner Cameron Maybin from second.
Earlier, as both teams deployed their No. 1 starters out of the bullpen, Andrew Benintendi greeted Justin Verlander by driving a slider down-and-in into the right field seats, scoring Xander Bogaerts ahead of him, giving the Sox a 3-2 lead.
After the teams traded runs in the first – with the Sox getting a solo homer from Bogaerts – Houston used a leadoff triple from Yuli Gurriel and a single by George Springer to grab a 2-1 in the second.
The Sox squandered a great chance in the second, loading the bases with no outs, but failing to score.
GAME NO.: ALDS Game 4
WHO: Red Sox (1-2) vs Houston Astros (2-1)
WHEN: 1:08 EST
WHERE: Fenway Park
RADIO: WEEI (93.7 FM)
TV: FS1
PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (11-17, 4.65) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (14-7, 3.62)
BOX SCORE: MLB Gameday
SERIES TO DATE: This is Game 4 of the American League Division Series between the teams, with Game 5, if necessary, set for Wednesday in Houston. The Astros pummeled the Sox in the first two games in Houston by identical scores of 8-2, but the Red Sox rebounded Sunday as the bats came alive in a 10-3 victory.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- Thrilling inside-the-park home run for Rafael Devers, his second homer in the last two games. Motored around the bases pretty well as the ball took a weird carom off the wall and landed back in center, with no out there to back up.
- Kimbrel is not sharp and that's put the Red Sox behind again. He issued a walk, threw a wild pitch and a run-scoring single to the first two hitters he faced. He hasn't had a lot of work since the end of the regular season, with an inning of mop-up in Game 2 Friday the only appearance since then. Still, no excuses in the playoffs - pitchers have to be ready to adapt, as Price has done and as Sale did earlier.
- Chris Sale leaves to a tremendous ovation, having thrown 4.2 innings while allowing a run on four hits. He's also responsible for a runner. He struck out six and did what Price did Sunday -- bridge a poor start to the late innings, keeping things in check.
- Sale has returned for the eighth, and it seems like Addison Reed is out of the equation. Kimbrel is warming and would be ready if Sale got into any trouble. Seems like this is pushing it.
- This was likely the last inning for Chris Sale, who is at 65 pitches after four shutout innings. Addison Reed is warming and would likely get the eighth. Me? I'd get six outs from Kimbrel, who's plenty rested and available for two innings. Reed's habit of giving up solo homers (in a one-run game) would scare me if I'm the Sox.
- This is the first relief appearance in the major leagues ever for Justin Verlander -- and it's showing. Verlander is commanding like he normally does, with fewer than 50 percent strikes on his first 21 pitches, leading to two walks among the first five hitters faced. It could take a while for him to settle in.
- Well. Andrew Benintendi, who had done virtually nothing in this series, makes up for it with just one swing - driving a darting slider into the right field box seats for a two-run homer and a 3-2 Red Sox lead. Prior to that, he had been 3-for-14, with all three hits singles and one of them of the infield variety. He impressed Cleveland last year as a rookie in the ALDS and was the Red Sox' leading hitter in those three games and the Indians were impressed with his approach and calm at-bats. It took a little while for him to make an impact with his bat this October, but he sure did that off Verlander.
- Astros clearly saw that Devers had been having a tough time coming in on balls. Yesterday alone, he didn't make two players, with slower, looping throws to first. But Jose Altuve's bunt try was fielded bare-handed by Devers, and with no time to spare, he zipped a strong throw to first to nab him. Impressive adjustment. It seems Devers does better when he just reacts and doesn't have too much time to think.
- Chris Sale is on for the Sox in the top of the fourth. Will be fascinating to see how long he goes here, since anything more than an inning or two likely takes him out a Game 5 start on Wednesday.
- Mitch Moreland thrown out by a mile to end the third inning.
- We're in the third inning of this series and no Red Sox starter has had a three-up, three-down inning to date. Chris Sale faced just three hitters in the third inning of Game 1, but that included allowing a one-out hit, then getting an inning-ending double play. Rick Porcello came close in the top of the third, with two outs and two strikes on Yuli Gurriel. But Gurriel then lined a double over Bradley's head and the "streak'' was intact.
- A bigger problem than the strike zone is the fact that the Sox had a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity and couldn't get a run home.
- For the third straight game in this series, lots of unhappiness with the strike zone and home plate umpires. Both Jackie Bradley Jr. and Dustin Pedroia were unhappy with called third strikes by home plate umpire Mark Wegner, although looking at the MLB GameDay app strikezone, both looked to be right on the edge of the strike zone. Pedroia was in danger of getting himself run by Wegner before Farrell came out and took the bullet for him. He got his money's worth, hanging around after being ejected, then had additional words for crew chief Ted Barrett on his way off the field
- A big pitch for Porcello has been the elevated fastball. On the final pitch to Carlos Correa, he threw a four-seamer up and out of the zone which Correa swung through. Porcello has allowed two runs, but having stranded five (!) through two innings, it could be much worse.
- Porcello used a slider to fan Brian McCann for the second out and seemed on the verge of getting out of the man man-on-third, no-out jam he created for himself. But when he tried a slider against George Springer on a 2-and-1 pitch, the outfielder drilled it on a line to left, scoring the run
- The stolen base by Mookie Betts was only the second steal of the series for the Sox. They had hoped to run more -- Houston catchers threw out less than 10 percent of baserunners during the regular season -- but Game 2 starter Dallas Keuchel made it extremely hard to run with a good move and in the other games, the Sox haven't had a lot of baserunners. And when they have had them, they've frequently been far behind on the scoreboard, making it difficult to take chances on the bases.
- Mookie Betts took a chance in the outfield, and it cost him. Betts went diving to try to cutoff a ball hit by Yuli Gurriel, and while he got his glove on it, the ball got by him and rolled toward the warning track. Triple for Gurriel and the Astros are threatening again.
- Before the game, John Farrell talked about taking Xander Bogaerts out of the leadoff spot, where he had gone 0-for-14 for the first three games of the series. Dropping him to second, Farrell thought, was a chance to take some pressure off and allow him to watch a Pedroia at-bat. Seemed to work, when Bogaerts homered into the Sox bullpen for his first hit of the post-season.
- An inauspicious start for Rick Porcello, who's having difficulty with his command in the early going. He's issued two walks and hit a batter through the first five hitters. But he limited the damage to a run, which, incredibly, represents the first time this series that the Astros didn't score multiple runs in the first.
- MLB officials have informed the teams that the plan is to start on time at 1:08 p.m. "It's likely we'll be in some dampness for the first couple of hours,'' said John Farrell. "Some mist, light rain (is expected). The forecast says that moderate rain is more 3:30, 4:00. But everyone wants to get this game underway. I think if there was a forecast that suggested there would be a stoppage early in the afternoon, we wouldn't begin this one. There is the potential that the game might be interrupted but that wouldn't be until later on. Major League Baseball's effort and everyone else involved is to get the game underway.''
- David Price, who tossed four shutout innings with 57 pitches Sunday, told Farrell this morning that he was available again. "He feels good,'' said Farrell. "I know that he wants to be available, which is impressive in its own way. He far exceeded initial thoughts (Sunday) with a great performance on his part. At some point, you have to factor in longer-term concerns, and that's health. (It's going to depend) on some conversations (closer to game-time) to be had yet. But I know he felt good coming out of (Sunday). Everything in my fabric says to stay away for the obvious reasons -- and that would be the preference.''
- Farrell added that both Chris Sale -- the projected Game 5 starter -- and Joe Kelly -- who pitched Sunday -- were both available today.
- The manager said he could, if necessary, use Craig Kimbrel for six outs.
- Farrell dropped Xander Bogaerts from the leadoff spot to No. 2 in the lineup. Bogaerts is 0-for-14 in the series so far, so Dustin Pedroia has been elevated from No. 2 to first. "In talking with both guys,'' said Farrell, "the fact that Pedey can give an at-bat to unfold in front of Bogey, to allow him to settle in at the start of the game, (is a positive).''