Osuna crash hands Game 3 to the Red Sox
It was never going to be easy for Roberto Osuna to resume his career as a major league closer, regardless of his undeniable talent and competitiveness.
On Tuesday at Minute Maid Park, the former Toronto Blue Jay reliever got a hint of just how harsh the spotlight may be on him for the foreseeable future.
The Houston Astro imploded, allowing five runs in the deflating eighth inning of what turned into an 8-2 Game 3 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Never warmly embraced since his controversial trade from the Toronto Blue Jays in late July — which came in the aftermath of a 75-game suspension for a violation of MLB’s domestic violence policy — Osuna was heartily booed after Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a grand slam to extend Boston’s lead to six runs.
The boos only got louder as he exited the game, a potential turning point in the best-of-seven ALCS that the Red Sox now lead for the first time, two games to one.
With the Red Sox up 3-2 entering the eighth — thanks in large part to a towering homer from his ex-Toronto teammate, Steve Pearce — Osuna was tasked with the assignment of keeping the score close.
This Astros team, after all, has been money late in ball games, a team renowned for how it comes back or piles onto a lead to put a game away. Instead, Osuna lasted just two-thirds of an inning, giving up three hits to go along with two hit batters.
The outburst secured the win for the Red Sox, who are now 3-0 on the road this post-season after taking a pair of games at Yankee Stadium to polish off their bestof-five division series.
As dominant and deep as the Astros can appear to be at times, it’s shaping up as a hell of a series now. The Red Sox seem to find a way and in a Game 3 that was thick in ex-Jays story lines, how about that monster, gamewinning home run from the ultimate grinder, Pearce?
The former Jays utility man turned critical piece of the Red Sox post-season run stood in the batter’s box, his left arm fully extended as his sixth-inning blast left Minute Maid Park like a rocket.
After what was the biggest hit of his career — his first post-season home run — Pearce spent an exaggerated second in the batter’s box admiring the shot. It didn’t take long, having exited the barrel off his bat at 107 miles per hour, a prodigious shot measured at 456 feet.
Acquired in late June to add some hitting depth, Pearce instead has become a key part of the Red Sox offence. In each of his six starts this post season, the 35-year -old has at least one hit and one run scored.
He’s performed well at the plate and defensively for the Red Sox, his fifth and favourite stop among AL East clubs.
“Pearce ... we were looking for that right-handed bat that will come off the bench and platoon with Mitch (Moreland),” Boston manager Alex Cora said of the trade with the Jays. “And he’s been outstanding. Actually he’s been great against lefties and righties and he’s really
THE BOOS ONLY GOT LOUDER AS OSUNA EXITED THE GAME.
been great at first base.”
An inning prior to his homer, Pearce just missed an extra-base hit that would have scored at least one run when he was robbed at the wall thanks to a leaping catch from Astros left fielder Tony Kemp.
At that point the game was tied 2-2 and the crowd of 43,102 was ready to switch the momentum.
Pearce took care of that with his shot that curled around the left-field foul pole as the Red Sox dugout emptied.
It was a game far closer than the final score suggested thanks to the gasoline ignited by Osuna.
Houston native Nathon Eovaldi got the start for the Sox and after a testy first inning settled down for six solid innings to earn the win.
Game 4 on Wednesday night will feature Charlie Morton on the mound for Houston, while Boston counters with Rick Porcello.