Jose Altuve drove in three runs, including a two-run homerun and a game winning RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth inning Friday night, leading the Houston Astros to a 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Boston put some pressure on early against Framber Valdez loading the bases in the top of the first with two outs but didn’t score. Houston would strike first in the bottom half against Chris Sale, who struggled some and only lasted 2.2 innings. Altuve led off with a walk, and then with one out Alex Bregman singled. Sale then would unleash a wild pitch with Yordan Alvarez batting allowing the runners to move up to second and third. Alvarez would continue the at bat and lift a sacrifice fly to left to score Altuve and make it 1-0 Astros. The Red Sox tied it when Kike Hernandez led off the third inning with a long solo homerun to left center field. After Kyle Schwarber grounded out, Xander Bogaerts walked and Rafael Devers singled. JD Martinez would then reach on an error by Altuve that would score Bogaerts, and Hunter Renfroe followed with an RBI double to left to increase the lead to 3-1. Houston came back to tie it in the sixth when Chas McCormick singled with one out against Tanner Houck, and then with two outs on the first pitch he saw Altuve hammered one into the seats in left for a two-run homer. Correa hit a no doubt solo homerun with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to left off Hansel Robles on a 2-2 pitch for a 4-3 Astros lead. The hosts added on in the eighth off Hirokazu Sawumara with a Yuri Gurriel walk, a McCormick single, and Martin Maldonado was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Altuve was up next and hit the game winning RBI sacrifice fly to push the lead to a pair. Martin Perez came out of the bullpen and induced a doubleplay ball by Michael Brantley to keep the deficit at 5-3. Hernandez led off the ninth for Boston with his second solo homer of the game to left off closer Ryan Pressly, but Pressly was able to retire Schwarber, Bogaerts, and Devers consecutively on groundouts to end it.
Sale was charged with one run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts in his short outing. Robles (0-1) was tagged with the loss. Hernandez continued his stellar playoffs with four more hits including the two homeruns, and Devers also added two hits. Valdez also went 2.2 innings for Houston allowing three runs on six hits. Ryan Stanek (1-0) got the win in relief and Pressly picked up his first postseason save. Correa and McCormick had three hits each. Game 2 is scheduled for a 4:20 p.m. first pitch on Saturday with Nathan Eovaldi (1-0 postseason, 2.61 ERA) headed to the mound for the Red Sox. The Astros counter with Luis Garcia (0-0, 16.88).
