AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Every playoff series features swing games, and the Boston Red Sox won a critical one Monday.
Boston defeated the Houston Astros 12-3 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park. Kyle Schwarber’s grand slam and home runs from Christian Arroyo, J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers spearheaded an offensive explosion for the victors, who now lead the series 2-1 following their second straight win.
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Stop me if you’ve heard this before. <br><br>BUT THE RED SOX HIT A GRAND SLAM ???? <a href=”https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BRWalkoff</a> <br><br>(via <a href=”https://twitter.com/MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@MLB</a>) <a href=”https://t.co/G8oP4RVU0L”>pic.twitter.com/G8oP4RVU0L</a>
Kyle Tucker’s three-run homer wasn’t nearly enough for the Astros to take back home-field advantage.
Notable Player Stats
- Kyle Schwarber, 1B, BOS: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R
- J.D. Martinez, DH, BOS: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB
- Rafael Devers, 3B, BOS: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB
- Christian Arroyo, 2B, BOS: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Eduardo Rodriguez, P, BOS: 6 IP, 3 ER, 7 K, 5 H, 0 BB
- Kyle Tucker, RF, HOU: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
Offensive Explosion Leads the Way for Red Sox
Houston put the rest vs. rust debate under the spotlight for Game 3.
Starting pitcher Jose Urquidy last pitched 15 days ago during an Oct. 3 win over the Oakland Athletics. He has been an afterthought throughout these playoffs prior to Monday but was suddenly handed the ball in front of a hostile crowd with a chance to give his team the lead in the series.
Rust won out.
Boston exploded for six runs in the second inning alone, four of which came on Schwarber’s grand slam. It didn’t help Urquidy that Jose Altuve booted a potential double-play ball on the batter before Schwarber’s blast, which also allowed another run to score. The starter didn’t make it out of the inning, but things didn’t get much better when the bullpen took over.
Yimi Garcia allowed three runs in the third inning to all but end the game. Arroyo launched a two-run homer after Christian Vazquez drove in a run with an RBI single, and it was more of the same after Boston scored eight runs in the first two innings of Game 2.
Unlike in Game 2, the Red Sox weren’t done scoring after the fourth inning.
Martinez hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Devers hit a solo shot in the eighth to provide even more insurance for the home team and keep Boston’s torrent offensive pace rolling. If it continues, the Red Sox will eventually be in the World Series.
Eduardo Rodriguez Impresses Outside of One Mistake
One of the biggest storylines for Monday’s game was which version of Eduardo Rodriguez would make an appearance.
After all, he allowed two runs and couldn’t get out of the second inning in his first start against the Tampa Bay Rays in the division series. However, he was much better in his second start against Boston’s AL East rivals with six strikeouts in five innings and seemed to be locked in from the start against the Astros.
He cruised through the first three innings with a single hit, all while his offense staked him to a massive lead.
Perhaps that changed his approach with so much leeway room because he allowed a three-run homer to Tucker in the fourth inning. To Rodriguez’s credit, he prevented the Astros from building momentum and getting back into the game with 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth.
That he was able to bounce back after the home run and work deep into the game not only helped Boston hold on to this win but also limited the work for the bullpen with Games 4 and 5 scheduled for the next two days.
The bullpen combination of Hansel Robles, Martin Perez and Hirokazu Sawamura finished the blowout for a pitching staff that should be fairly well rested for the upcoming contests.
What’s Next?
The series remains in Boston for Tuesday’s Game 4.
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