FINAL - ALCS Game 4: Astros 9, Red Sox 2 - Houston lights up Eovaldi, Perez after controversial non-strike

Boston held a 2-1 lead, thanks to Xander Bogaerts' first-inning two-run homer, until the top of the eighth when Garrett Whitlock gave notorious first-ball hitter Jose Altuve a fat first-pitch fastball to tie it. In the ninth, Nathan Eovaldi entered and, after allowing a lead-off double and a one-out intentional walk and a strikeout, appeared to have strike three on Jason Castro but home plate umpire Laz Diaz (who Alex Cora argued with earlier in the game) disagreed.

(Pitch 4)

Castro went on to single a run in to give Houston a lead, and then all hell broke loose. By the end, Eovaldi was gone, Martin Perez didn't help much, and the Astros had batted around and scored seven runs to bust the game open.

With the win, the series is tied 2-2 and the Astros have grabbed home-field advantage back. The Series will travel back to Houston for a Game 6. The only question is which team will go to Texas with a 3-2 series lead.

WHO: Red Sox vs. Houston Astros
WHEN: 8::08 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (1-0, 3.12) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (0-0, 0.00)
TV/RADIO: FS1; WEEI-FM 93.7 

LINEUPS

ASTROS

Altuve 2B
Brantley LF
Bregman 3B
Alvarez DH
Correa SS
Tucker RF
Gurriel 1B
Meyers CF
Maldonado C

RED SOX

Schwarber 1B
Hernandez CF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Verdugo LF
Martinez DH
Renfroe RF
Vazquez C
Arroyo  2B

WHAT'S UP:  The Red Sox lead the Astros in the ALCS, 2 games to 1...After losing Game 1 (5-4), the Sox won Games 2 (9-5) and 3 (12-3). This is the 3rd time the Sox have held a 2-1 lead in the ALCS (also 2013 and 2018)...In the previous 2 instances, the Sox went on to win the series. This marks the 28th time since the best-of-7 ALCS format began in 1985 that a team is ahead 2-1 after 3 games...In those 27 previous series, 20 clubs with a 2-1 lead went on to win the ALCS (74%). .....The Red Sox have set a new MLB record for consecutive games with 10+ hits in a single Postseason (6)... Only once has a team recorded 10+ hits in 6 straight Postseason games across multiple seasons (2003-04 Red Sox, 6 G).....The Red Sox have 20 HR this Postseason, tied for the most in franchise history (also 2003)... That is tied for the most HR in a team’s first 8 games of a Postseason (also 2004 Astros). The Sox have 18 HR in their last 6 games...That is the most ever for a team in any 6-game span in the Postseason..... The Red Sox hit 2 grand slams in Game 2 of the ALCS and added another in Game 3...They are the only team to hit 3+ grand slams in a Postseason series. The Sox are the 2nd team ever to hit 3+ grand slams in a single Postseason (ATL had 3 in 1998). The Sox are the 5th team to hit a grand slam in back-to-back games in a single Postseason, joining the 1977 Dodgers, 2011 Diamondbacks, and 2020 Yankees.....In the Postseason, the Red Sox have hit 3 grand slams and 2 three-run HR...In the regular season, they led the majors with 40 HR with at least 2 runners on base, including a franchise-record 37 three-run HR. 3 of those 5 HR with at least 2 runners on base have given the Sox a lead...In Game 2 of the ALDS, J.D. Martinez broke a 5-5 tie with a 3-run HR in the 5th inning...In Game 4, Rafael Devers broke a scoreless tie with a 3-run HR in the 3rd...In Game 2 of the ALCS, Martinez’s grand slam broke a scoreless tie. ....After earning a Postseason berth on the final day of the regular season, the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park, 6-2. In the ALDS, the Sox defeated the Rays, 3 games to 1. ....The Red Sox began their season by getting swept in a 3-game series vs. BAL...They closed their season by sweeping a 3-game series at WSH. In their season finale on 10/3 at WSH, the Sox trailed 5-1 after 5 innings; they came back to win, 7-5. The Sox lost Game 1 of the ALDS, 5-0, then won the next 3 games...They lost Game 1 of the ALCS, 5-4, then came back to win Games 2 and 3. ....The Red Sox came from behind to win Games 2 and 3 of the ALDS...During the regular season, the Sox led the majors with 47 come-from-behind wins. The Sox’ largest deficit overcome to win a Postseason game is 7 runs (2008 ALCS-G5, trailed 0-7, won 8-7). ....The Red Sox are 6-2 this Postseason... They are 23-13 (.639) since the start of September, including 17-7 (.708) in their last 24 games, 10-3 (.769) in their last 13, 9-2 (.818) in their last 11, and 5-1 (.833) in their last 6. The Sox are 17-5 in Postseason games since 2018, including 14-3 in their last 17 and 8-2 in their last 10. The Sox are 108-88-1 in 25 trips to the Postseason... They are 1-0 in Wild Card Games and 23-15 in 38 series, having gone 8-6 in 14 trips to the ALDS (26- 26 in games), 6-5 in the ALCS (32-33), and 9-4 in the World Series (49-29-1). ....The Red Sox have won their last 7 Postseason games played at Fenway Park, the franchise’s longest streak in the venue’s history...They are 58-37-1 all time in home Postseason games (51-35-1 at Fenway). Only 5 teams have won 8+ consecutive home Postseason games: the 1998-2000 Yankees (10), 1987-96 Cardinals (9), 1927-36 Yankees (8), 1995-96 Braves (8), and 2008-09 Phillies (8). The Sox are 43-21 (.672) in their last 64 games at Fenway Park (reg. season + postseason). .....The Red Sox have been charged with only 1 error in 8 Postseason games, including none in their last 4 games...They have been charged with only 5 errors in their last 22 games (beginning 9/17). ....Alex Cora is 17-5 (.773) as a manager in the Postseason (all with BOS)...According to Elias, that is the highest winning percentage ever for a manager through their first 22 Postseason games. Under Cora, the Sox are 5-0 in the Postseason in games immediately following a loss. Cora is 5-0 in potential Postseason series-clinching games...According to Elias, the only other managers to begin their careers with a streak that long are Terry Francona (6), Tony La Russa (5), and Casey Stengel (5). .....This marked the 24th time in 52 ALCS that the series had been tied at 1-1 after 2 games...In those 23 previous series, the team that won Game 3 went on to win the ALCS 18 times (78%). This series marked the 4th time the Red Sox lost Game 1 of a best-of-7 ALCS and came back to win Game 2 (also 1986, 2013, ‘18)...In each of the previous 3 instances, they went on to win the series. The last 3 times the Sox lost Game 1 of the ALCS, they went on to win the World Series (2004, ‘13, ‘18). ....The Red Sox are making their 12th trip to the ALCS...They are 32-33 all time in the ALCS, including 21-11 in their last 32 games and 10-3 in their last 13. The Sox’ 7 trips to the ALCS since 2003 are tied with the Yankees for the most in that time. In 4 of their last 5 trips to the ALCS, the Sox went on to win the World Series (lost 2008 ALCS to the Rays). .....The Red Sox have earned 14 walk-off wins in Postseason history...Since the start of 2004, their 9 walk-off wins in the Postseason rank 1st in the majors; the only other teams with more than 5 walk-off wins in that time are the Astros (7) and Cardinals (6). ......The Red Sox earned walk-off wins in Games 3 and 4 of the ALDS...After Christian Vázquez hit a 2-run HR in the 13th inning of Game 3, Kiké Hernández brought in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 9th inning of Game 4. This is the 3rd time the Sox have earned multiple walkoff wins in a single Postseason (3 in 2004, 2 in ‘08). The Sox became the 2nd team in MLB Postseason history to clinch a series with back-to-back walk-off wins, joining the 1991 Twins in the World Series (source: STATS).

NOTES: 

* According to Alex Cora, Chris Sale is