BRADLEY HOMERS, PUTS ASTROS ON THE VERGE
HOUSTON – Jackie Bradley Jr. struck the decisive blow for a third consecutive game, and the Boston Red Sox inched one win closer to claiming the American League pennant with an 8-6 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series on Wednesday.
Bradley belted a first-pitch changeup from Astros right-hander Josh James (0-1) into the right field seats with two outs in the sixth inning, the two-run homer giving the Red Sox a 6-5 lead.
Boston held on to claim a 3-1 series lead with Game 5 set for Thursday at Minute Maid Park.
James had limited the Red Sox to one run after entering in relief of right-hander Charlie Morton with one out in the third inning. However, after recording two quick outs in the sixth, James surrendered a double to Christian Vazquez before Bradley pounced on James’ off-speed offering. The flame-throwing James averaged 99.4 mph over 23 fastballs.
The home run was Bradley’s second in as many games and his third game-altering extra-base hit in the series. He slugged an eighth-inning grand slam in Boston’s 8-2 Game 3 win and hit a third-inning, three-run double in the Red Sox’s 7-5 Game 2 victory.
Boston tacked on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth to set the stage for a series clincher against Astros ace Justin Verlander.
The Red Sox took a 2-0 lead against Morton in the first inning when Rafael Devers produced a two-out, two-strike, two-run single to center that scored Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. The Astros appeared to match that two-run rally in the bottom of the first against right-hander Rick Porcello before a controversial call temporarily preserved the lead for Boston.