Sox grab rebound
Bounce back to split series with champs
HOUSTON — The Red Sox rode into Houston atop the American League East, and last night they left the city on the same perch.
After losing the first two games of their highly anticipated series against the World Series champs, the Sox put together impressive games against Justin Verlander and Charlie Morton to come out with a series split capped by their 9-3 win last night.
Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland each homered while Brock Holt drove in three runs from the No. 7 spot. Rick Porcello put together 61⁄3 strong innings of three-run ball against an intimidating offense. And Matt Barnes was overpowering in 12⁄3 innings of relief.
It was a much-needed series finish for a team that looked outmatched in the first two games while playing without Mookie Betts, who was placed on the 10day disabled list Friday.
Maybe they just needed the national audience.
Benintendi, among the league’s best hitters over the last month, got the Sox started when he finished a six-pitch at-bat off Morton by roping a 97-mph heater to right field for a leadoff double. Two batters later, Moreland belted a hanging curve for his 10th homer in just 44 games.
In the fifth inning, Benintendi cranked one into the upper deck in right field for the second straight night. Over his last 24 games, he’s hitting .366 with six doubles, two triples and eight homers. He’s pushed his average from .244 to .296 in that span.
Holt, a Texas native and Rice University alum, laced a two-run triple to right field in the sixth inning, then Blake Swihart singled him home to knock Morton out of the game.
It was the first time in Morton’s two seasons with the Astros that he allowed as many as six runs in an outing.
And it came a night after the Sox put up three runs on Verlander, who hadn’t allowed three runs in a game in two months.
Porcello gave up a leadoff homer to George Springer in the first inning but was otherwise dominant until the seventh.
The highlight was in the third inning, when he put the first two on via error and walk, then struck out Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa to end the frame.
The Astros got to him for two runs (one earned) in the seventh, but Porcello still finished his 61⁄3 innings on just 88 pitches while striking out five and lowering his ERA to 3.59.
After he left, Barnes stole the show with a dominant outing that he started by striking out Altuve on four pitches, the final a 97-mph heater on the outer edge that Altuve watched.
Barnes retired all five batters he faced on just 25 pitches. He’s now allowed just five hits and no runs over his last 10 outings to lower his ERA to 2.10.
Hope may have been lost on Friday, after the Sox put Betts on the DL and dropped their second straight to the Astros in front of a roaring crowd at Minute Maid Park.
This morning, those seem like distant memories.