Red Sox snap Astros’ 10-game win streak

BOSTON — Michael Chavis pointed to a young boy in the press box, letting him know how impressed he was that a 5-year-old announced his name so well.

Boston’s rookie sparkplug then stepped to the plate and gave the kid something extra to be excited about.

Chavis homered on the next pitch after acknowledging the boy, Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the Red Sox averted a series sweep against Houston with a 4-3 victory Sunday that snapped the Astros’ 10-game winning streak.

“I heard a kid’s voice and I looked up and I was so surprised,” Chavis said after hitting his eighth homer in 25 major-league games. “I was impressed how confident he was. When I was a kid, I don’t think I would have even done it. Right before I got in the box, I thought I should say good job.”

For an inning on every Sunday home game, the Red Sox have kids announce players’ names as they walk up to the plate.

Mookie Betts scored three runs for Boston, which lost the first two games in the first meeting with the Astros since beating them in the 2018 AL Championship Series.

Carlos Correa hit a tworun homer off Chris Sale for Houston, which is 13-4 in May.

“They played better today, they outhit us, but our at-bats against Sale were good,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said. “We’ll see him again in five days.”

Houston outfielder George Springer, who began the day leading the American League with 17 homers, exited in the fifth with lower back stiffness. He took three big swings in the first inning, striking out. On the last two, Springer appeared to reach briefly for the lower right side of his back. He also struck out swinging his next two times up against Sale.

“My back stiffened up,” Springer said. “Not necessarily ideal. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully, I’ll feel better (Monday).”