HOUSTON -- That the Red Sox are going to the World Series after their 4-1 win over the Astros on Thursday is far from improbable. They did win a franchise-record 108 games in the regular season, after all.
But let’s just say their tour-de-force in the postseason to this point has been extremely impressive and surprising.
And they saved their best for last.
With the much-maligned David Price pitching his, by far, best postseason game with the Red Sox, Boston is headed to the World Series after sweeping the defending World Champion Astros in three games in their own park to win the AL Championship Series 4-1.
That followed on the heels of the Red Sox sweeping both games at Yankee Stadium in the Division Series
It doesn’t get any better than that.
Price was the star of the game, scattering three hits over six innings while striking out nine. He was in total command and had the Astros off-balance all night. It was his crowning moment in a Red Sox uniform.
Offensively, the Red Sox got a solo home run from J.D. Martinez in the third, and a three-run homer from Rafael Devers in the sixth. Again, Devers’ heroics were very much unexpected.
But that’s the way it has gone for these Red Sox the entire season — especially in the postseason — and now the train rolls on to the World Series, where they will host either the Dodgers (3-2 lead) or Brewers.
THREE UP
David Price: He was nothing short of sensational. Had his best stuff — a 95-plus fastball and a changeup that got 11 swings and misses — of the postseason and was in complete command. By far his best postseason start as a Red Sox and was money when the Alex Cora needed him most.
Rafael Devers: His three-run blast totally changed the complexion of the game, from 1-0 squeaker to 4-0 commanding lead.
J.D. Martinez: His solo blast in the third inning gave the Red Sox an early lead and seemed to relax everyone, including Price. He added a single in the fifth.
THREE DOWN
Alex Bregman: Went 0 for 4 in this game with two strikeouts and batted .133 in the series.
Justin Verlander: Astros needed him to be a big-game pitcher and while he wasn’t bad, he wasn’t good enough. Got out-pitched by David Price, gave up a two-strike home run to Martinez and gave up three-straight hits, including Devers’ three-run blast, in the sixth.
Martin Maldonado: Went 0 for 2 in this game to bat .091 in the series and he was terrible defensively.
BOX SCORE
Here we go...
Bottom of the 9th
Kimbrel's first pitch is 97 ... so his arm isn't mush from last night.
- Correa strikes out.
- Gurriel walks on four pitches.
- Gonzalez strikes out looking. Two outs.
- Kemp flies out. That's it. Red Sox going to the World Series.
Top of the 9th
Red Sox go down in order to set the stage for Kimbrel ... this should be interesting. Every other move by Cora has worked, so I expect this one will.
Bottom of the 8th
Eovaldi still on the hill and no one is warming. Holt does not stay in the game. Devers still at third.
- McCann grounds out weakly.
- Bregman strikes out. He batted .133 in the series.
- Springer singles.
- Altuve hits one on the screws, but right at Bradley in center.
Top of the 8th
- Moreland strikes out vs. Osuna.
- Kinsler doubles to left.
- After a wild pitch and a strikeout by Devers with a runner on third, pinch-hitter Holt grounds out.
Bottom of the 7th
Barnes is in. Price finished 6 IP, 3 H, 0 BBs, 9 Ks.
After retiring the first two batters are harmless groundballs, Barnes gives up a solo shot to Gonzalez. RUN: Red Sox 4, Astros 1.
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- Kemp walks.
- White pinch hits.
Nathan Eovaldi in to pitch.
- Josh Reddick now the pinch-hitter.
- Reddick flies out loudly to deep right but no problem.
Top of the 7th
Roberto Osuna in.
- Benintendi grounds out.
- Martinez grounds out.
Matt Barnes is warming up for Red Sox.
Bogaerts grounds out.
Bottom of the 6th
- Betts robs Bregman of extra bases with a leaping grab in front of the wall. Outstanding.
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- Springer grounds out to third.
- Altuve becomes ninth strikeout victim.
Top of the 6th
- Moreland doubles off the wall in left. Kemp gave it a great try, but it scraped off the wall.
- No bunt pays off as Kinsler singles to right but Moreland, with the bad hammy, can't score.
- Three-run bomb by Devers to left field. RUNS: Red Sox 4, Astros 0.
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- Vazquez flies out, Bradley grounds out and Betts flies out. Verlander at 97 pitches and probably done.
Bottom of the 5th
- Kemp becomes Price's eighth strikeout victim. Every batter except Gurriel and Marisnick has whiffed at least once.
- Maldonado flies out deep to RCF.
- Marisnick grounds out to Price, whose low throw is picked by Moreland. 82 pitches for Price.
Top of the 5th
- Betts grounds out.
- Benintendi fouls out.
- Martinez strokes a two-strike single to center.
- Bogaerts lines out sharply to right.
Bottom of the 4th
- Altuve strikes out. That's five for Price, who has had tremendous stuff.
- Correa with another swinging strikeout.
- On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, which included six-straight foul balls to start the appearance, Gurriel hits a double to left field.
- Gonzalez whiffs as Price strikes out the side. 73 pitches. He doesn't even look at Cora going down the dugout steps.
Top of the 4th
- Devers strikes out looking.
- Vazquez strikes out.
- Bradley grounds out. Verlander has thrown 61 pitches.
Bottom of the third
- Marisnick pops out to RF.
- Bregman strikes out looking. Same pitch but on the other side of the pitch Verlander didn't get.
- Springer grounds out. Another strong inning from Price. Both pitchers have 47 pitches through three.
Top of the third
- Benintendi goes down quickly looking.
- Verlander doesn't get strike three on Martinez — replay showed it was in the zone on the outside corner — and on the next pitch, Martinez homers to left. RUN: Red Sox 1, Astros 0.
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- Bogaerts flies out to deep LCF.
- Moreland singles past the shift into right.
- Kinsler grounds out on another spectacular play by Bregman.
Bottom of the 2nd
- Gurriel smokes one into the LCF gap but Bradley's speed and arm holds him to a single.
- Gonzalez flies out harmlessly to right.
- Kemp does same to left, which brings up 8 and 9 in Houston lineup and they've been black holes.
- Maldonado strikes out looking. Price at 35 pitches.
Top of the 2nd
- Moreland flies out on first pitch.
- Kinsler reaches on a throwing error by Bregman. High and wide, Gurriel couldn't catch it and put the tag down. HOU MISTAKE #1.
- Devers lines out to left field.
- Vazquez lines a single to RF, bringing up the ever-dangerous JBJ. We're through the looking glass people.
- Bradley walks on 3-2 pitch after Verlander fell behind 3-0. Betts with the bases loaded. HOU MISTAKE #2.
- Betts strikes out. Huge missed opportunity. 23 pitches that inning for Verlander. 34 total.
Bottom of the 1st
- Bregman swings at the first pitch again and flies out deep to left.
- Springer strikes out.
- Altuve singles sharply to center on a 3-2 pitch.
- Price gets Correa looking to concluded a good, solid first inning with two strikeouts. 18 pitches.
Top of the 1st
- Betts pops out to third.
- Benintendi skies to short right. Three pitches so far.
- Go at-bat, that the Sox needed, but Martinez to draw a walk.
- Bogaerts grounds out to end the inning. Just 11 pitches for Verlander.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Houston Astros
WHEN: 8:09 p.m.
WHERE: Minute Maid Park
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox lead the ALCS 3-1 and can clinch the American League pennant with a win tonight. The Sox are the 22nd team to lead an ALCS 3-1 since the seven-game format was introduced in 1985. Of the previous 21 cases, 17 went on to win the series; only the 1985 Toronto Blue Jays, 2004 New York Yankees and 2007 Cleveland Indians failed to close it out and advance to the World Series. Of course, two of those teams (2004 Yankees and 2007 Indians) lost to the Red Sox. ... In 19 previous Game 5 situations in Red Sox history, the Red Sox are 15-4, including 6-0 in their last six...The Sox are unbeaten on the road this postseason, winning two games in New York in the ALDS and the first two games here. Moreover, they've outscored the opposition 36-12 in those four games. ... Jackie Bradley Jr. has three hits in the last three ALCS games, each of which has come with two outs and each of which has knocked in multiple runs. ... Bradley is the first player in postseason history to have three consecutive multi-RBI games from the 8th or 9th spot in the batting order. ... Including the regular season, the Red Sox are unbeaten (14-0) when Bradley homers. ... Bradley has nine RBI this postseason, tying him with LA's Manny Machado for most this fall...Xander Bogaerts carries a nine-game postseason hitting streak into tonight...Over the course of this postseason, the Red Sox are hitting .368 with RISP. With RISP and two out, the Sox are hitting .419...Four Red Sox relievers -- Ryan Brasier, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly -- have combined to pitch 21.2 innings this postseason and have allowed exactly one earned run. They've limited opposing hitters to a .113 batting average...David Price, is, of course, still searching for his first postseason win as a starter, having not won in any of his first 11 career starts...In Game 2 of the ALCS, he pitched 4.2 innings and allowed four earned runs in game the Sox went on to win...Brian McCann hits Price well, with a career mark of 11-for-35 (.314) with three homers and eight RBI...Jose Altuve is 9-for-28 (.321)….The Houston Astros have never trailed 3-1 in a seven-game series in franchise history before...Astros starter Justin Verlander has made five career postseason starts in elimination games, going 4-1 with a 1.21 ERA and 41 strikeouts over 37.1 inning pitched...Mitch Moreland (11-for-38) with seven walks has hit Verlander well in the past, as has Eduardo Nunez (7-for-23).
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (0-1, 9.95) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (2-0, 3.18)
TV/RADIO: TBS/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Moreland 1B
Kinsler 2B
Devers 3B
Vazquez C
Bradley CF
ASTROS
Bregman 3B
Springer RF
Altuve DH
Correa SS
Gurriel 1B
Gonzalez 2B
Kemp LF
Maldonado C
Marisnick CF
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Chris Sale threw on flat ground Thursday afternoon and reported feeling much better, some four days after spending a night in the hospital because of stomach issues. "He's doing well, feeling better,'' said Alex Cora. "He'll be ready for his next start.'' Pressed to what he meant by "next start,'' a smiling Cora clarified: "Either Game 6 (of the ALCS Saturday, if necessary), or Game 1 (of the World Series next Tuesday).'' Cora said Sale doesn't have to pitch off a mound before his next start. Cora said Sale has been eating solid food and feels stronger.
- Despite throwing 20 or so pitches in the bullpen Wednesday night, Cora said David Price "is a full-go. This is not like Wade Miley stuff.'' That latter comment was in reference to the Milwaukee Brewers decision to have Miley start Game 5 of the NLCS, but last just one batter. "He'll get as many outs as he can -- 12 outs, 15, 18, and go from there.''
- Mitch Moreland is in the starting lineup for the first time this series, his hamstring feeling better.
- Asked if he had anyone on his pitching staff that he needed to stay away from tonight, Cora said: "Nah. We'll see how the game goes. If there's a chance to win, we'll put all the chips out there.'' That includes Ryan Brasier, who has pitched in each of the first four games of the series.
- Cora was asked what Craig Kimbrel can do to straighten out his mechanical issues on short notice. "They're working on it,'' he said. "This isn't about pleasing him. We're throwing him out there because I believe in him. At the end, he's throwing 98-99 mph.'' Cora theorized that something is going on with Kimbrel's slider ''because there's a lot of quality takes'' by opposing hitters. "The quality of the sliders are good, but they're not offering. Either they have a good game plan, or it's paranoia on my end (on pitch-tipping or sign stealing).''