Hanley Ramirez’s monster four-hit, three-RBI day coupled with David Price’s gutsy relief performance lifted the Boston Red Sox to a 10-3 victory that included 15 hits from the home team in Game 3 of the ALDS over the Houston Astros, keeping their season alive for at least another day.
The Astros lead the best-of-five series 2-1.
Based off the first two games, an Astros sweep was almost expected. The potent lineup batted .343 through the first two games of the ALDS, hammering out 16 runs in the process. By contrast, Boston batted just .244.
There was a chance to change that number though as they were meeting a relatively unknown Brad Peacock, who went 13-2 with a 3.00 ERA in Houston’s rotation that featured Dallas Keuchel and later on, Justin Verlander.
He always had issues with the Red Sox though, sporting a 9.00 ERA in four career starts. His counterpart, Boston’s Doug Fister, was one of the most underrated postseason pitchers out there with a 4-1 record and 1.78 ERA in eight career starts.
But six pitches into his outing, Fister was behind. After a George Springer lead-off single and a passed ball, Josh Reddick’s single to center put Houston into an early lead.
Two batters later, Correa took Fister deep and out to center field for a two-run home run, ensuring that Houston put up crooked numbers in the first inning in all three games.
After allowing two base runners in the second, Fister’s day was done, making way for Joe Kelley.
It fit the mold for Boston’s starters though, who have recorded a combined 8.1 innings and allowed 18 hits, 14 runs and six round-trippers so far this series.
Houston almost put the game to bed in the second off Kelley when Reddick drove a deep drive to right field with two outs, but Mookie Betts reached over the short wall to rob the Astro of his second, third and fourth RBI of the day.
With momentum seized after the Betts catch, Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the inning. A Sandy Leon single drove in one, but that was all they could grab in the second.
But they came storming back in the third, piecing together a two-out rally to take the lead.
A Ramirez double drew them to within one, driving Peacock out of the game. In came Francisco Liriano, who was greeted rudely by Rafael Devers as he launched a two-run home run to put Boston in the lead and breathe new life into Fenway Park.
After Kelley slowed Houston’s bats down, David Price came in and silenced them for four stellar innings, ensuring Boston kept its slim lead through the seventh inning.
It allowed the Red Sox to break it open in the bottom of the seventh as they put up a six-spot and batted around the order.
Ramirez continued his big evening, ripping a bases-loaded, two-RBI double to open the Red Sox’s lead to 6-3. It became seven after Devers reached out and flared a single into no man’s land between shortstop and right field.
Jackie Bradley Jr. capped off the inning when his deep fly ball to the right-field corner deflected off the glove of Reddick and into the seats for a three-run home run.
There’s little time to enjoy this victory though as the Sox remain on the brink of elimination. Game 4 will be played on Monday afternoon with the first pitch coming at 1:08 p.m.
