Astros undress Red Sox for second-straight day
HOUSTON Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and the high-powered Astros led the majors in runs, hits and batting average in the regular season.
Now that it’s playoff time, Houston is still hammering away.
Correa homered, doubled and drove in four runs, Altuve got two more hits and the Astros battered the Boston Red Sox 8-2 Friday to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series.
George Springer also homered to back Dallas Keuchel in Houston’s second-straight romp by the exact same score.
“One through nine, everybody can do damage, everybody can go deep,” Correa said. “That’s the good thing about our lineup, there’s no holes in our lineup, and we feel very confident no matter if we went 0-for-4 the day before or if we went 4-for-4.”
The Astros will go for a sweep in the best-of-five matchup Sunday at Fenway Park, a year after Boston was swept in the ALDS by Cleveland. Brad Peacock (13-2) starts for Houston against Doug Fister (5-9).
A day after Altuve hit three home runs in the playoff opener, he got things going with a two-out single in the first inning off Drew Pomeranz. Correa, who went 0-for-4 on Thursday, made it 2-0 when he launched a towering shot onto the train tracks atop left field.
“For me, if he’s not No. 1, he’s No. 2 in the league,” Altuve said of Correa. “One of the best players, I’m really happy to have him on my team. Believe it or not I have learned from him.”
Keuchel pitched into the sixth, allowing one run and three hits while striking out seven to improve to 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in three career post-season starts.
After Jackie Bradley Jr. had an RBI single in the Boston second, the Astros started to break away.
Springer hit his first post-season homer when he sent the second pitch of the third inning into the front row of the seats in right field.
So is Red Sox manager John Farrell surprised the series has been this lopsided so far?
“They’re very good, they’re deep, and they have got a number of ways to beat you,” he said. “So we fully respect and understood the opponent, and they’re playing like that.”
A double by Alex Bregman set up an RBI single by Altuve later in the third, making it 4-1 and ending Pomeranz’s first career post-season start after two relief appearances.
“Any mistake that we’ve made these past two games, they’ve made us pay for them,” Pomeranz said. “It’s playoff baseball, and these guys have come out swinging.”
David Price, the starter-turnedreliever with the US$217-million contract, pitched 22/3 scoreless innings for the Red Sox. Following his exit, Houston tacked on four runs in the sixth.
A two-out intentional walk to Altuve, the major league batting champion this season, led to a tworun double by Correa.
Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts had a blooper-reel error in the sixth when he caught a fly ball by Bregman then simply lost the ball as he tried to throw it back in. Betts looked confused as the ball dribbled away and the run scored.
“I’m not even sure how it happened,” Betts said. “I messed up.”
Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner known as much for his beard as his devastating sinker, was cheered on by Houston’s other famous bearded superstar as Rockets guard James Harden watched from behind home plate.
INDIANS 9, YANKEES 8 (13 INNINGS)
In the other AL matchup, the Cleveland Indians surged back from an 8-3 deficit to top the New York Yankees and take a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-five series. Francisco Lindor’s sixth-inning grand slam brought the team to within one run and a Jay Bruce solo shot tied it up in the eighth. Cleveland slugger Edwin Encarnacion had to be helped off the field with an apparently severe ankle injury early in the game.