Astros Strong

by Houston Chronicle

  The Astros knocked out Pomeranz in the third inning. Their performance marked the first time in Astros history they’ve scored eight runs or more in consecutive postseason games. No team had scored eight runs or more in multiple games in the same Division Series since the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals did it three times in five games against the Washington Nationals.

  “We couldn’t really script it any better,” Keuchel said.

  Flies in the Ointment

  Reddick Has Homer Taken Away, but Devers Crushes One Off Liriano

  By Jake Kaplan

  American League Division Series Game 3

  October 8, 2017 • Boston, Massachusetts

  Red Sox 10, Astros 3

  Rafael Devers, the 20-year-old lefthanded-hitting third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, accumulated 240 plate appearances in his rookie season. Only 57 came against lefthanders. But in those 57, Devers mashed.

  So when Astros manager A.J. Hinch pulled righthanded starter Brad Peacock in favor of inconsistent lefthander Francisco Liriano in the third inning Sunday, it qualified as a questionable move. When Liriano hung an 0-and-1 slider over the plate and Devers clubbed it 430 feet to right-center field, the decision became the misstep that loomed largest in a 10-3 Astros loss in Game 3 of their American League Division Series with Boston.

  Devers’ swing put the Red Sox ahead 4-3, a score that represented their first lead of a to-that-point one-sided ALDS. It was a lead the Red Sox wouldn’t relinquish, extending the best-of-five series to a fourth game. The Astros will start righthander Charlie Morton in their second attempt to clinch. The Red Sox will counter with righthander Rick Porcello.

  On Sunday at Fenway Park, the Red Sox broke open a tight game with a six-run seventh inning. David Price emerged as their hero on the mound, pitching four scoreless innings of relief. A vaunted Astros lineup that romped for eight runs in each of the team’s Game 1 and Game 2 victories was silenced for the final eight innings of Game 3.

  “Price was really good today,” Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said. “You’ve got to give credit to the guy when he pitches the way he pitched today. His cutter was very sharp, and he was working off of that. He did his part. You’ve got to tip the hat.”

  While Price dominated for the Red Sox, Lance McCullers Jr. matched him for three of those four innings in his first career relief appearance. In the seventh inning that doomed the Astros’ chances at a comeback, McCullers allowed the first two runners to reach base before an uncharacteristic meltdown by Chris Devenski.

  Devenski allowed two singles and a double, the latter of which came off the bat of Hanley Ramirez and plated two runs. Ramirez, whom the Red Sox benched in Game 1 in favor of Eduardo Nunez, went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in the game.

  Devers also drove in three runs and had two hits, none bigger than his home run off Liriano.

  Josh Reddick narrowly misses a chance to rob Jackie Bradley Jr. of a three-run home run. After dominant showings in Games 1 and 2, Reddick’s Astros found themselves at the wrong end of a 10-3 score line at Fenway Park. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

  In his 57 regular-season plate appearances against lefthanders, Devers batted .400 with a 1.074 OPS. Liriano held lefthanders to a .247 average and .655 OPS in 100 regular-season plate appearances. If Hinch was set on pulling Peacock, Devenski and his .111 average and .414 OPS against in 157 plate appearances versus lefthanded hitters seemed the best option at the time.

  When he got his chance later, though, Devenski didn’t even record an out. Hinch summoned Joe Musgrove to try to clean up the mess. Musgrove allowed a three-run homer to nine-hole hitter Jackie Bradley Jr., who got an assist off the outstretched glove of right fielder Josh Reddick.

  “The ball kept curling over. I had enough time to get over, I thought, and timed the jump pretty well. Just in and out,” said Reddick, who was robbed of a three-run homer in the second inning by Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts.

  “It’s just one of those things where it doesn’t go your way, and it is very unfortunate for myself and the team. But nothing you can do. You get one taken away from you, and you give one right back. It’s just one of those things where it doesn’t go your way.”

  In all, the Astros’ bullpen was charged with seven of Boston’s runs. Three were charged to Devenski, two to McCullers, and one apiece to Liriano and Musgrove. Peacock was charged with the other three. He completed only 2 2⁄3 innings.

  Hinch pulled Peacock after a two-out double by Mitch Moreland and a run-scoring single by Ramirez on which the Boston designated hitter took second on an error by left fielder Marwin Gonzalez. Hinch called on Liriano, who had a 4.40 ERA in 14 1⁄3 innings of relief for the Astros in the regular season despite September improvements.

  The Astros liked the matchup of Liriano’s power fastball and slider against the bottom of the Red Sox order: Devers, the switch-hitting Sandy Leon, and the lefthanded-hitting Bradley. But after spotting a 94 mph two-seamer down and in for strike one, Liriano left an 87 mph slider over the plate.

  “That pocket down there at the bottom, we felt pretty good about Liriano, the way his power should work against the bottom of the order,” Hinch said. “He hung a slider, which didn’t work.”

  Hanley Ramirez celebrates a two-run double off Astros reliever Chris Devenski during the seventh inning. The Astros bullpen allowed seven runs in what was a do-or-die game for the Red Sox. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

  Devers, who turns 21 on Oct. 24, became the youngest player in Red Sox history to hit a postseason home run and joined Mickey Mantle, Andruw Jones, Miguel Cabrera, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper as the only players to homer in the playoffs before their 21st birthday.

  Said Liriano: “I didn’t execute the pitch, and it stayed right down the middle. He put a good swing on it.”

  Through a half-inning, it appeared the Astros would trounce the Red Sox as they had in the first two games of the series.

  Two batters and two minutes into the game, they led 1-0 on singles by George Springer and Reddick, with a Doug Fister wild pitch mixed in. Correa, the fourth batter of the game, made it 3-0 with a blast to dead center field on a full-count curveball Fister left up in the zone.

  The homer signified Correa’s second of the series and already the 23-year-old’s fourth in his postseason career. Only Carlos Beltran (eight), Lance Berkman (six) and Mike Lamb (five) have accounted for more postseason home runs in Astros history.

  Red Sox manager John Farrell afforded Fister only the first time through the Astros’ order before he replaced him with Joe Kelly, who recorded the next five outs, one on the deep fly ball off the bat of Reddick that would have cleared the three-foot right-field wall had Betts not snagged it.

  Then came time for Price, the $217-million man and former Cy Young Award winner who has yet to surrender a run in 15 1/3 innings during his temporary tenure as a reliever.

  “I don’t think there are a ton of secrets,” Hinch said. “I don’t think there’s a ton of strategy change other than I like the way we jumped out ahead. Obviously, we could have jumped out even further ahead if we had two more feet on Reddick’s ball or if he hits the ball in the corner a little bit more.

  “But our attack plan’s going to be the same. We’re going to be fine. We’ll bounce back out of this and come back and play hard. But this is playoff baseball. If anybody thought the Red Sox were going to lay down, probably rethink it.”

  Boston Glee Party

  Bregman, Reddick Help Clinch Series With Big Hits in 8th-Inning Rally

  By Jake Kaplan

  American League Division Series Game 4

  October 9, 2017 • Boston, Massachusetts

  Astros 5, Red Sox 4

  In the smallest visitors’ clubhouse in the major leagues, it seemed not a soul who entered between 5 and 6 p.m. local time exited unscathed. Upon almost every sighting of dry clothes, a player or coach corre
cted the issue with a dousing of beer and champagne.

  For some, celebrating the Astros’ first postseason series win since 2005 came with a feeling of redemption. For others, it was validation. For all, it meant the preservation of one of the best seasons in franchise history.

  The Astros advanced to the American League Championship Series by virtue of a wild 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Monday afternoon at Fenway Park.

  The appearance in the LCS will be the Astros’ first as members of the American League and their first in either league since 2005, the year they made their lone World Series appearance after winning the National League pennant.

  “We envisioned ourselves being here since the beginning of the year, and nothing really changes on our end,” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We’re going to keep showing up to the yard every day, having fun, competing, playing the game the right way, playing it hard, and playing for each other.”

  Monday’s clincher had a little of everything, including light rain throughout. Both teams’ aces, Justin Verlander for the Astros and Chris Sale for the Red Sox, made surprise multi-inning relief appearances. Carlos Beltran, the oldest player on the field, was responsible for what became the decisive swing. Bregman, among the youngest on the field, tied the score with a homer.

  Four hours and seven minutes had elapsed when Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel secured in his mitt the throw from second baseman Jose Altuve for the final out. After celebrating in the clubhouse for close to an hour, the Astros retook the field in front of an empty stadium to snap a team photo. They flew back to Houston later in the evening.

  “This is such a hard place to play,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Fenway Park. “I don’t think it gets the credit of being a really, really tough (place to play). These fans know baseball, they know their moments, they know how to have the home-field advantage.

  Third baseman Alex Bregman rounds the bases in the eighth inning after taking Boston’s Chris Sale deep. Houston’s late rally was key in securing a trip to the American League Championship Series. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

  “So when we get to this park, we didn’t assume anything. We didn’t think we were just going to come in easily and win a game. We know how tough it is to play here.”

  After winning Games 1 and 2 by identical 8-2 scores, the Astros lost Game 3 10-3. When Andrew Benintendi cracked a two-run homer off Verlander in the fifth inning of Game 4, it felt like the momentum in the series had shifted. Benintendi’s big swing put the Red Sox up 3-2 in the game.

  By the time the eighth inning rolled around, Sale had dominated for four consecutive frames. The AL Cy Young Award candidate had allowed only two hits and struck out six without walking a batter. He complemented his usual wipeout slider with a fastball he ran up to 99 mph. His stuff was filthy.

  But to lead off his fifth inning of work in the eighth, he attacked Bregman with changeups. Bregman was ready for them, and when Sale left one over the plate, the 23-year-old delivered the biggest hit of his young major league career with a game-tying solo blast over the Green Monster in left field.

  “I had all the confidence in the world that we were going to find a way to scratch and claw like we have done all year and get the lead back,” said Bregman, who hit a first-inning homer off Sale in the series opener. “I was in the dugout, and (bench coach) Alex Cora came up to me and said, ‘Hey, one at-bat. That’s all that matters.’

  “I was 0-10 going into that (over) my last 10 at-bats. And he said, ‘One at-bat. That’s it. Have some fun. Play the game how you did the beginning of the series, just having fun.’ I was fortunate enough to get a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”

  Evan Gattis then kick-started the go-ahead scoring opportunity when he smacked a one-out single down the left-field line. Cameron Maybin came in to run for him. With two outs and George Springer coming to the plate, Boston replaced Sale with arguably the best closer in the league, Craig Kimbrel. Springer drew a two-out walk.

  Ken Giles gets doused in beer and champagne by teammates after recording the save in the Astros’ ALDS-clinching win in Boston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

  Then came the most impressive at-bat of the day. Tasked with hitting a 99 mph fastball or a 90 mph curveball, Josh Reddick fouled off four pitches before getting a 99 mph heater he smacked the other way into left field. Maybin, who was running on the full-count pitch, scored what was then the go-ahead run.

  As Reddick rounded first base, Fenway Park fell silent. Later, the veteran outfielder celebrated as he did when the Astros clinched their division – wearing only an American Flag speedo.

  “If we keep doing this,” he said, “I may ride the parade in this thing.”

  Ken Giles, called upon for a six-out save, shut down the Red Sox in the eighth to set the stage for the Astros’ offense to tack on in the ninth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Hinch pinch-hit Beltran for Maybin against Kimbrel. Like Reddick the inning before, Beltran saw eight pitches. The last of them was an 87 mph curveball Beltran clanked off the Green Monster for a run-scoring double.

  That insurance run loomed large when Rafael Devers led off the ninth with an inside-the-park home run on a fly ball that caromed off the Green Monster into center field. Giles recovered to retire the final three batters, finishing off the game by inducing a groundout to Altuve from Dustin Pedroia.

  Alex Bregman watches his game-tying homer clear the fences.

  Beltran’s double represented the 40-year-old’s 200th career postseason at-bat. He improved his impressive playoff average to .325.

  “He’s Mr. Clutch,” Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said. “There’s nobody better in the postseason who’s active right now than him. So we expected something good to happen there.”

  The Astros batted .333 (49-for-147) with a .402 on-base percentage in the ALDS, each a franchise best for a postseason series. Their pitchers had a 4.63 ERA, but Boston’s had a 6.35. The Astros’ Championship Series appearance will be just the fifth in the franchise’s 56-season history.

  “It’s a little bit like a redemption feeling,” righthander Lance McCullers Jr. said. “We were six outs away in ’15, man. We were six outs away from the ALCS. The team that beat us (the Kansas City Royals) ended up winning the World Series. It was tough for everyone. It’s still been tough for everybody. So just to be able to close it out and to go in the ALCS and give the fans this time to enjoy, it’s pretty cool.”

  American League Championship Series

  Astros bullpen coach Craig Bjornson wasn’t spared the champagne shower treatment in Fenway Park’s visitors’ clubhouse. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

  Special K

  Keuchel Fans 10, Extends Mastery Over Bronx Bombers

  By Jake Kaplan

  American League Championship Series Game 1

  October 13, 2017 • Houston, Texas

  Astros 2, Yankees 1

  It doesn’t seem to matter which players Joe Girardi writes into the New York Yankees’ lineup. Whether the last generation of Bronx Bombers or this new one, Dallas Keuchel has proved to be their kryptonite.

  Keuchel reprised his role as a Yankee killer on his biggest stage yet Friday night: Game 1 of the Astros’ first League Championship Series in 12 years. In the first of four wins his team requires to advance to the World Series, this one by a 2-1 margin, the bearded lefthander delivered perhaps his best start of the season.

  “I think that’s the most locked in I’ve seen him maybe all year,” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. “Maybe even better than a few of the starts that he had early in the year.”

  Not only did Keuchel pitch seven scoreless innings, he did it against a Yankees lineup that produced the second-most runs in the majors during the regular season. Not since his Cy Young Award-winning campaign in 2015 had he struck out 10 batte
rs like he did in Game 1 of this ALCS. He had the best version of his sinker and his swing-and-miss slider.

  Keuchel’s strikeout total was the highest by an Astros pitcher in a postseason game since Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan struck out 12 in Game 5 of the 1986 NLCS against the Mets. Keuchel is just the second pitcher in history after Hall of Famer Bob Gibson to record seven strikeouts or more in his first four career postseason starts.

  In front of a raucous, orange-towel-waving crowd of 43,116, Keuchel rose to the occasion.

  “When the sinker is moving and the gun is hitting 90,” Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said, “I know he’s going to be lights-out.”

  Keuchel’s latest gem improved his career numbers against the Yankees to a 1.09 ERA in eight starts, including two in the playoffs. In 57 2/3 innings against baseball’s most storied franchise, he has not allowed a home run.

  Jose Altuve connects for a sixth-inning single in what was a slim 2-1 victory over the New York Yankees. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

  In Friday’s Game 1, he didn’t allow even a double. The Yankees managed only six baserunners in his seven innings, four on singles, one on a walk and the other on a bobbled grounder by Jose Altuve. Keuchel threw 109 pitches, his most since April, before he walked off the mound at 9:35 p.m. and was met on the dugout steps by the right hand of Astros manager A.J. Hinch.

  “There’s really no hard explanation for it,” Keuchel said of his success against the Yankees. “I think it’s just pitch execution, and it’s just been there more times than it hasn’t against the Yankees.