Ramirez keeps Red Sox from going on vacation
Designated hitter has four hits and drives in three runs, and Boston cuts ALDS deficit to 2-1.
BOSTON 10, HOUSTON 3
BOSTON — Hanley Ramirez waved a “Believe in Boston” flag during pregame introductions, drawing cheers from a Fenway Park crowd fearful of a second consecutive postseason sweep.
Then he gave the Red Sox exactly what they wished for: more October baseball.
“I just tried to wake everybody up,” Ramirez said after delivering four hits and driving in three runs to lead the American League East champions to a 10-3 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 3 of a best-of-five division series on Sunday.
“I think that’s my job: Find a way to come through in big situations,” the designated hitter said. “It’s the playoffs. It’s go time.”
David Price pitched four scoreless innings after another starter faltered, and 20-year-old rookie Rafael Devers hit the go-ahead homer.
Mitch Moreland had three of the 15 hits for the Red Sox, who matched their output for Games 1 and 2, each an 8-2 loss. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit his first postseason homer, a three-run shot in a six-run seventh inning that put the game away.
Carlos Correa homered for the Astros as they took a first-inning lead for the third game in a row. Leading 3-0 with two on and one out in the second inning, Houston chased Doug Fister and Joe Kelly retired George Springer before Josh Reddick hit a fly ball to right field that Mookie Betts caught at the top of the short wall to end the inning.
“It would have been a great spot for us to get another three runs and big momentum for us. And that seemed to be big momentum for those guys,” Reddick said. “They come up after that and they take the lead. So I just wish the park was a little bit shorter.”
Kelly pitched the third inning, and Price gave up four hits and a walk while throwing 57 pitches in his longest outing since July.
Since going to the bullpen in September after sitting out most of the season because of elbow problems, Price has made seven consecutive scoreless appearances.
“He’s a machine. He’s a competitor. And when he’s on the mound he’s going to give everything he has,” Ramirez said. “That’s him. That’s his attitude. And that’s why he’s here.”
Astros starter Brad Peacock escaped the second inning with a 3-1 lead despite loading the bases with nobody out, but he ran into bigger trouble in the third.
After Peacock struck out the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters, Andrew Benintendi and Betts, Moreland doubled and scored on Ramirez’s line drive over left fielder Marwin Gonzalez.
Francisco Liriano served up Devers’ two-run home run to right field that gave Boston a 4-3 lead, its first in 44 postseason innings dating to Game 1 of a 2016 division series.
Peacock gave up three runs and six hits in 22⁄3 innings.
Liriano got only one out, and gave up one run and two hits.