Day: October 23, 2021

MLB Postseason: It’s an Astros Braves World Series on Tuesday

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The New York Yankees season and hope for another championship were over when they lost in the wild card round to the Boston Red Sox, but the baseball season continued, for now, two teams. The Houston Astro clinched their berth in the World Series when they eliminated the Boston Red Sox on Friday night at MinuteMaid Park. The Dodgers beat the Braves 11-2, earning them a trip back to Truist Park in Atlanta. With the Braves ahead three games to two, the Dodgers again faced elimination last night. Game five of the series was their saving grace, but not for long as the Braves won the elimination game 4-2 and advanced to the World Series.

Game five with the Dodgers in the elimination hole yet again, they faced the Braves. Max Fried was on the mound for the Atlanta Braves. The Los Angeles Dodgers had Joe Kelly on the mound. Freddie Freeman put the Braves on the board first with a right down the middle no-doubter into the centerfield stands for the two-run lead for the Braves, whichKelly’sKelly’s night with only two-thirds of an inning. That lead held until the bottom of the second when the Dodgers scored three runs. AJ Pollock hit a solo homer followed by a two-run jack by Chris Taylor. Dodgers 3 Braves 2.

The Dodgers picked up another run. Chris Taylor managed a single to center with Pollock on with Pollock on, scoring Pollock for the Dodgers 4-2 lead. The fourth inning was scoreless for both teams. At the bottom of the fifth inning, the Dodgers scored another two runs. Freddie Freeman had a solo blast to center. That was followed by Taylor’sylor’s second home run of the game for the 6-2 Dodgers lead. The top of the sixth inning was scoreless for Atlanta Braves. With Dylan Lee pitching for Atlanta at the bottom of the sixth, Trey Turner singled, but the Dodgers failed to score. Dodgers 6 Braves 2.

. In the Braves half of the seventh with Blake Treinen, with his second inning of work for the Dodgers, put down the Braves in order. At the bottom, Chris Taylor hit his third home run of the game, a solo shot to left. Then Cody Bellinger singled to right. Matt Beaty flew out to end the inning. ButTaylor’sylor’s third homer of the game, the Dodgers led the game 7 to 2.

Corey Knebel pitched the top of the eight for the Dodgers and struck out three in a row. At the bottom, Jacob Webb on the mound, Mookie Betts singled and stole second. Trey Turner singled, scoring Betts. Corey Seager singled, moving Turner to second. Will Smith, the only Dodger starter without a hit, struck out. AJ Pollock, who got the first homer for the Dodgers, homered again to the bleachers in left-center, scoring Turner and Seager for another three runs for the Dodgers. Dodgers 11 Braves 2.

In the top of the ninth inning, with the last licks on the line for the Atlanta Braves, Kenley Jansen took the mound for the Dodgers. Ozzie Albies flew out to left. Freddie Freeman ground out to second. Austin Riley flew out to right, and the Dodgers staved off elimination and moved on to Atlanta on Saturday. The final score was the Los Angeles Dodgers 11 and the Atlanta Braves 2. The winning pitcher was Evan Phillips, and the loser was Max Fried. The series was then three games to two in favor of the Atlanta Braves.

Last night was Game Six. Ian Anderson was on the mound for the Braves and Walker Buehler for the Dodgers; just like in most of the games, the starters wouldn’t be involved in the decision. In the bottom of the first inning with Ozzie Albies on Austin Riley doubled driving in Albies for the Braves one-run lead. That lead held until the top of the fourth inning when the Dodgers finally answered. With Trea Turner on base, Cody Bellinger doubled driving him in for the score tied at one. In the bottom of the frame, the Braves again took the lead on a three run homer by Eddie Rosario making it 4-1 Atlanta Braves. Rosario’s hit set a team record for the most hits in a postseason.

The fifth inning was scoreless for both teams. With Alex Vesia on the mound for the Braves in the bottom of the sixth frame with two outs, Rosario walked. Freddie Freeman walked, the diminutive Ozzie Albies got the third walk of the inning. That was the night for Vesia. The new Dodger pitcher Blake Treinen faced Austin Riley with two outs and the bases loaded with Braves. Riley with a chance to blow the game open struck out to end the Braves threat. Atlanta 4 Los Angeles 1.

In the top of the seventh, Chris Taylor doubled. Cody Bellinger walked. AJ Pollock singled to left driving in Taylor and making it 4-2 Braves and ending Luke Jackson’s night. The new Braves pitcher was Tyler Matzek. He faced legendary Albert Pujios with two on and still no outs. Pujols struck out. Steven Sousa pinch-hitting struck out. Mookie Betts struck out to limit the Dodgers to just one run. In the bottom of the frame with Corey Knebel on the mound, Adam Duvall struck out. Joc Pederson flew out to right. Dansby Swanson singled to left. Travis d’Arnaud struck out. Braves 4 Dodgers 2.

In the eighth Matzek still on the mound struck out his fourth Dodger in a row. Trea Turner ground out to left. Will Smith ground out to left to put the Braves three outs of a World Series berth. In the bottom, Kenley Jansen on the mound, Jorge Soler doubled to left. Heredia pinch-runner. Eddie Rosario flew out center move Heredia to third. Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked. Ozzie Albies struck out. Austin Riley struck out. Braves 4 Dodgers 2.

In the ninth inning with the Braves, three outs away from a win and a trip to the World Series put closer Will Smith on the mound. Chris Taylor struck out. Cody Bellinger struck out. AJ Pollock lined out to short and the Atlanta Braves won the National League Pennant and earned a trip to the World Series in Houston on Tuesday. The final score was the Atlanta Braves 4 and the Los Angeles Dodgers 2. The winning pitcher was Tyler Matzek and the loser was Walker Buehler the save went to Will Smith. It will be the first time the Braves have gone to the World Series since 1999 when the New York Yankees swept the Atlanta Braves 4 games to none.

New York Giants send scout to watch Kayvon Thibodeaux vs UCLA

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kayvon thibodeaux, new york giants

Barring a miraculous turnaround, this is another season where the New York Giants will have a high pick in the NFL Draft.

That pick, depending on how badly the rest of the season goes, could even be one of the very top ones. It seems like the front office has acknowledged that possibility, as the Giants were one of the teams to send a scout to check out potential number one pick Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux’s Oregon Ducks took on the UCLA Bruins earlier today, and the defensive end put on another dominating performance. 9 tackles, 3 sacks and a forced fumble proved again why Thibodeaux is one of the top prospects for the upcoming draft.

According to Oregon Live, a number of NFL teams had scouts in attendance. Some General Managers went as far as attending the game personally.

NFL scouts from the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, LA Chargers, LA Rams, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears (2x), Detroit Lions (2x) including GM Brad Holmes, Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio and Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard are in attendance

It’s possible not all of those scouts were there to see Kayvon Thibodeaux. Some of the teams listed, after all, are far from being in a position to take him. But the presence of scouts from some of the league’s bottom teams is far from a coincidence.

Thibodeaux would bring the kind of pass rush influence to the Giants that the franchise hasn’t truly regained since moving on from Jason Pierre-Paul.

On the other hand, the Giants acquiring a talent like this in the draft would be a bittersweet moment. If the Giants are selecting high enough to pick Thibodeaux in the first place, it means little has improved in their record from this point in the season.

Marvin Vettori edges Paulo Costa at UFC Vegas 41

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Today in the main event of UFC Vegas 41, we saw a middleweight battle between former title challengers Marvin Vettori (17-5-1) and Paulo Costa (13-1). While the fight featured two top middleweights, the fight took place at light heavyweight.

Paulo Costa said earlier this week that he wouldn’t make weight for the signed bout at 185 pounds. With that, the two men agreed to fight in the light heavyweight division. Granted, this was still looked at as a battle between two top middleweights.

The fight was sensational at UFC Vegas 41 and it was a battle of styles. For Marvin Vettori, he came forward with a lot of pressure and volume. Meanwhile Paulo Costa came forward with his massive power.

Early on in the fight, Vettori was landing a lot, but the big shots came from Costa. Most notably, a massive headkick in the second round that seemed to wobble Vettori briefly. In the second round, a pivotal moment occurred when Costa lost a point with an eye poke.

The middle rounds at UFC Vegas 41 were controlled by Vettori who won the third and fourth rounds with his volume. In the fifth round, Costa came alive and really started throwing heat. Tons of huge body kicks and huge shots up top came from the Brazilian.

The fifth round and the second looked like clear rounds for Paulo Costa. Meanwhile the middle rounds looked good for The Italian Dream. In the end as the judges scored the fight (48-46, 48-46, 48-46) for Vettori.

UFC Vegas 41 Final Takeaways

The fight was incredible between these two men and it was exactly the fight that UFC fans were hoping to see. However, there are still some sour points from the week that dampen the fight for me a bit.

It’s clear that Paulo Costa should be fighting at light heavyweight. If he can’t even come within ten pounds of the middleweight limit after a year off, the UFC should move up him to light heavyweight. Honestly, he looks great physically there.

While there were bright spots for Costa and he looked much better than he did against Adesanya, tonight was all about Vettori. Vettori ate some huge shots but never stopped coming forward. His performance really summed up the entire week for him.

It’s hard not to love Marvin Vettori after this week. Not only did he pick up the win at UFC Vegas 41, but he had the attitude of just wanting to fight all week. He really showed that he was a real fighter and this week was a big week for the Marvin Vettori fan base.

Rangers storm back in heroic fashion to beat Ottawa, snapping decade-old road record

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rangers

The New York Rangers are currently on a four-game winning streak, overcoming the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon to perfect a four-game road trip.

Over the past four games, the Rangers have recorded their most points (8) through their first five road games since the 2010-11 season. This is also the first time the Rangers have had a perfect four-game road trip since 2015.

The Rangers entered the third period down two goals, but Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren, and Barclay Goodrow contributed goals to drag the team back into the game. Currently, the Rangers are atop the Metropolitan Division standings with nine points and four victories.

“We didn’t do a whole lot in the first two periods,” head coach Gerard Gallant said after the win. “But we kept it close, we didn’t play poor hockey, but we didn’t play to the elite level we had to play at. We kept it close and sometimes that’s what happens when you keep the game close.”

The Rangers started the season losing two consecutive games but have now won four straight, giving up just five goals during that time span. it was exciting to see the Rangers fight back, as their power-play was ineffective, and the top line looked dull and lazy on the afternoon.

Scoring three goals in just three minutes and 20 seconds was the difference between winning and losing. Increasing their effort has been a narrative floated in recent days, but that will come as they improve their stamina throughout the course of the season. This was the first time in franchise history that New York won a game facing a multi-goal deficit in just a final six minutes of play.

Good teams find ways to win and have resiliency, and the Rangers displayed that in the victory.

The Rangers will now prepare to take on the Calgary Flames on Monday evening. Calgary has won their last two games, scoring seven goals and giving up three. Elias Lindholm is leading the way for Calgary, enjoying a hat trick in their most recent win over Washington.

Yankees could pursue former Mets pitching ace during off-season

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard, yankees

The New York Yankees will likely have to approach this off-season with financial limitations in mind. Despite the Steinbrenner’s opening up their checkbook to extend a few big-name players, last season for general manager Brian Cashman was a struggle. He had to settle on players who are making minimal salary’s coming off serious injuries to try and piece together the starting rotation.

Holding back on spending, it’s an unfortunate reality as the Steinbrenner‘s peak over at their rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays. Cashman traded for Pittsburgh Pirates starter Jameson Taillon and signed Corey Kluber to a one-year, $11 million deal. With Tampa having a minuscule salary cap compared to the Yankees, management doesn’t understand why their young prospects aren’t contributing as much as others around the league.

However, that could lead the Yankees to a more frugal approach this off-season, and one pitcher who could present a cheaper opportunity on a short-term deal is Noah Syndergaard.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post suggests that the Yankees could target Noah Syndergaard on a short-term deal, which could be a wonderful idea:

He has much in common with Verlander: He is coming off Tommy John surgery, has hardly pitched the past two years, and the Mets likely will put the qualifying offer on him. He might just be a tease, but he is one talented tease. If he takes a multiyear deal, the Yanks should be out. But if Syndergaard were willing to take a big one-year pact to re-establish himself for next year’s market, he becomes more attractive.

Syndergaard hasn’t pitched in over five games since 2019, when he hosted a 4.28 ERA over 200 innings pitched. In 2018, he hosted a 3.03 ERA, collecting 13 wins and a 49% ground ball rate. If Syndergaard can return to health, there is no question he could be an adequate pitcher at a solid price point. There’s little chance he finds a suitor willing to pay him on a multi-year deal with significant money allocations.

With that being said, the Yankees might be able to take advantage of his recent injury history and land him on a cost-efficient contract for one season, similar to Kluber. With money needing to be spent at shortstop, Cashman is going to have to cut a few corners, and Syndergaard understands the market and is a talented starter when healthy. The question is, how long can he be dependent on before he starts missing games in 2022?

The Knicks are witnessing something special with Obi Toppin

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obi toppin, knicks

The New York Knicks have gotten off to a hot start this season, overcoming the Boston Celtics in double overtime to win the opener and dominating the Orlando Magic on Friday evening.

Orlando didn’t stand a chance against a deep Knicks team that enjoyed significant scoring production from Obi Toppin, Derrick Rose, and Immanuel Quickley off the bench. The starters also had good games. Julius Randle posted 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists over 30 minutes.

Utilizing aggressive defense and incredible three-point shooting, finishing at 44.4%, and hitting a franchise-high 24 shots from range, the Knicks are already in mid-season form. Only two players for Orlando scored over 14 points, Mo Bamba and Franz Wagner. They turned the ball over 18 times, and the Knicks collected 10 steals and four blocks, showcasing they can dominate lesser opponents.

In the past, the Knicks might have played down to their competition, but head coach Tom Thibodeau has the team playing hard the entire game despite the score.

However, the emergence and development of one young player has proven to be a catalyst so far this season. Dayton product and second-year power forward Obi Toppin has displayed incredible growth, ranging from his shooting to defensive qualities.

Toppin contributed 13 points, one block, two steals, two assists, two rebounds, and shot 5-of-8 from the field over 23 minutes. His contributions off the bench have been fantastic, especially in transition when he can electrify the crowd and team with ridiculous athleticism and dunks.

“He’s an incredible athlete,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I think he’s in great shape this year.”

Toppin seems bigger and more comfortable on the floor, which has given him an advantage in his sophomore season. It was all about mindset for the 23-year-old, as statistics already reflect a matured player compared to his rookie numbers.

“Once I had that mindset, everything started to slow down a little bit for me,” Toppin said. “And I feel like things are starting to slow down now, this year, a lot more.”

As the game continues to slow down for Toppin and the Knicks string together victories, his confidence should grow along with it. Thibodeau has also done a great job creating specific combinations to maximize his skill set, pushing him down the floor quickly with his high energy work rate and capitalizing in transition.

“I thought he changed the pace of the game,” Knicks guard Kemba Walker said. “He’s a very special talent, and he can run. He can really run and get out in the open floor.”

Toppin is a pace-changer, giving momentum back to his team with exciting plays and using his unique frame to play solid defense. Thibs has used Obi and Randle on the court at the same time, which could be a deadly duo moving forward for New York.

New York Yankees: Could 2022 be the go big year for the Yankees?

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Carlos Correa, Houston Astros, yankees

2021 was another disappointing year for the New York Yankees. After several years of not surviving the postseason, this past year, they didn’t make it past the wild card and lost to the rival Boston Red Sox in the winner-take-all game. It has now stretched to over a decade since the Yankees have even been in a World Series contest for the Yankees and their fans. Many marginal fans are ready to discard the Yankees as their team as their frustration boils over. Is it time for the Yankees to finally do something to reverse that trend?

Much of this is in the hands of managing partner Hal Steinbrenner who has experienced ever-increasing calls from Yankee fans that he sell the team to someone who will put forth the funds for a team that can bring a 28th World Championship back to New York. You can be sure he won’t decide based on fan approval, but as the team fails to win, he is starting to lose the revenues that the team enjoyed in their winning years. A new manager won’t help because they have decided to keep Aaron Boone around for another three years. So, it’s all about the players and coaches.

The New York Yankees haven’t done much to improve the team in the last five years, other than hiring starting pitcher Gerrit Cole in December of 2019. All of this while holding on to some questionable players like Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks, and Gleyber Torres. There is a multitude of problems the Yankees must solve before the start of the 2022 season just to put the team back together. They don’t have a regular everyday centerfielder; they don’t have a number two dependable starter needed to get to the postseason and win. And now they must also replace the departing coaching staff.

But beyond that, the Yankees need to do much more to produce a championship team. At the end of this season, the Yankees finally decided to discard their experiment with their shortstop and move Gleyber Torres back to second base. Unfortunately, the decision led to most infielders playing in positions they were not entirely familiar with. That is not a winning strategy. The Yankees finally need to hire an actual shortstop and one that is not just adequate but a star player that can defend and produce for the Yankees.

Yankees need a shortstop

This offseason, the market for shortstops will be insane as several teams need to fill or upgrade that position. If the Yankees are going to win out, they are going to have to be aggressive. There are several routes the Yankees could take, but if you have been watching the postseason, one player that stands out from all others is Carlos Correa of the Astros. You don’t have to look at the stats; he is a bonafide star that could help the Yankees to another World Series. Looking at the stats, this season, he has in 148 games played he has a .279 batting average, 26 home runs, and drove in nearly 100 runs. He has an overall 7.5 WAR for 3rd in the American League. One big plus for the Yankees is that Correa has said he would love to play in New York, not explicitly mentioning the Yankees.

An MLB.com baseball insider and contributor to CBS Sports, Jon Heyman, has said the New York Yankees could be interested in Correa. But, the Yankees won’t be alone; the Detroit Tigers have also made it known that they are interested in the shortstop. But, there is a catch for the Yankees; Correas has ties to A. J. Hinch, who is the Tiger manager and former manager of the Houston Astros. Other star options for the Yankees could be Trevor Story, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, or if the Yankees chose to go cheap, Javier Baez.

The Gary Sanchez dilemma

It seems like forever that the conversation turns to replace Gary Sanchez as the starting catcher at the end of every season. Yet it never changes as the Yankees have indicated their continual support of the failing Sanchez. But after another losing year, that may be changing. In an after-season news conference, general manager Brian Cashman was asked if Gary Sanchez would be the 2022 starting catcher. For the first time, Cashman would not answer the question, saying they would look at all positions.

Unlike shortstop, there are not many options for the Yankees; there are very few catchers available or are upgrades to Sanchez. One such option that fits the bill is Buster Posey. He has a $22 million option to return to the San Francisco Giants; many in the know say the Giants may not be willing to exercise that option. Posey is a star defender that hit .304 this season with 18 home runs. Posey is 34 years old and would not be a long-term solution for the Yankees, but a shorter contract would make an excellent pairing with Kyle Higashioka and mentor to up-and-coming Austin Wells.

This season with the Scranton Railriders, Wells, in 103 games, hit .264 with 18 home runs; he also burnt up the Arizona Fall League. Whether it is centerfielder, shortstop, or the catching position, it will be up to Hal Steinbrenner and, to a degree Brian Cashman if they want spend and make the big moves to bring a championship back to the Bronx.

Giants News: Multiple receivers ruled ‘out’ Vs Carolina | Amani Toomer rips team

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants once again face a daunting task on Sunday as they take on the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have had their fair share of inconsistencies this season, but the Giants’ offense has struggled to get going, especially with several playmakers already set to miss the game over the weekend.

The offense currently ranks 27th in points scored per game, further depicting a narrative that justifies firing coordinator Jason Garrett. However, a vast array of injuries have significantly burdened the unit, as Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, and Andrew Thomas have all been ruled out for Week 7.

Quarterback Daniel Jones is coming off a game where he turned the ball over three times after throwing just one interception in the first five weeks of the season. Unfortunately, his pass-protection is preparing to experience a major fall-off with Matt Peart starting at left tackle and Nate Solder at right tackle.

If the Giants want any chance at winning the game, the defense must perform admirably and limit Panthers’ QB Sam Darnold. Last weekend against the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold turned the ball over twice in an overtime defeat.

With the Panthers losing two consecutive games, they will be looking to right the ship, and as the Giants have provided a bounce-back opponent for most competitors, this should be no different against Carolina.

Amani Toomer details how the Giants are giving up:

Head coach Joe Judge preaches discipline and accountability, but his team seems to be giving up after losing five of their first six games. Unfortunately, the defense has underperformed, and the offense has dealt with significant injuries, limiting their potential.

With that being said, former Super Bowl champion and Giants receiver Amani Toomer had a few choice words to describe the team, indicating they don’t seem to have that edge and energy winning teams contain.

“I dig into the body language, right,” Toomer said via the Blue Rush Podcast from the NY Post. “Are they excited, are they edged up? They didn’t seem that way to me. It’s easy for me to say but the amount of points they got beat by [the Rams] didn’t look like they were excited.”

The Giants are close to losing the season entirely, and with the offense in shambles, Toomer’s evaluation seems to be spot on.

MLB News: Houston Astros blank the Red Sox and go to the World Series

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The New York Yankees were out of the postseason when they lost to the Red Sox in the wild card. However, Boston continued to win, but last night they had their backs against the wall in an elimination game in Houston. At the end of the night, it was the end of their dream season as they succumbed to the Astros 5-0 and packed their bags for the long sad trip back to Boston. The Houston Astros will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves in the Fall Classic next Tuesday.

Game One: The first game featured Sox Ace Chris Sales against the Astro’s Framber Valdez. Vazquez doubled in the top of the first, scoring Altuve from third as the Astros got on the board first. In the top of the third Kike Hernandez answered with a homer to the left-field stands to tie the game up at one apiece. Then, in the bottom, Altuve bungled a hit, and Bogaerts scored. Then Renfroe hit an RBI double to make it 3-1 Sox.

Jose Altuve tied it up with a two-run homer into the left-field stands in the bottom of the sixth inning. Carlos Correa put one up into the stands in left at the bottom of the seventh, putting the Astros up by one. At the bottom of the eighth, Altuve hit a sac fly scoring Gurriel from third, Astros 5 Boston 3. Kiki Hernandez hit another homer just into the stands in the top of the ninth, drawing the Red Sox one-run closer, but that was it for the Sox as the Astros took game one 5-4. The winning pitcher was Ryne Stanek, the loser was Hansel Robles, and the save went to Ryan Pressly.

Game Two:

The Red Sox entered the second game of the 2021 ALCS behind a game in the series, hoping to salvage one game at MinuteMaid Park in Houston. They did it, winning the second game by beating Houston 9-5. Nathan Eovaldi went into the sixth inning, giving up three runs; Ottavino and Whitlock combined for 2.2 scoreless innings. Hernandez gave up two runs in his .02 innings of work, while Brasier finished it up for the Sox, getting the final out and win. Meanwhile, the Red Sox racked up nine runs in the contest.

J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers put the game pretty much out of reach for the Astros by getting two Grand Slams in the game. It started poorly for the Astros and starter Luis Garcia when Martinez got his Slam in the first inning. Then, in the second, he gave up another run, which was the night for Garcia. To make matters worse for the Astros, the Sox loaded up the bases for Rafael Devers to hit his Grand Slam in the same inning. It’s the first time in postseason history that two Grand Slams had been achieved in the first two innings of a postseason game.

In the top of the fourth, Kiki Hernandez, who led the Sox in hits, this postseason hit his 3rd home run of the postseason making it 9-0 Red Sox. The Astros got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth, but it was far too little, far too late. Unfortunately, that also signaled the end of Eovaldi’s pitching effort. At the bottom of the ninth, the Astros made a valiant attempt at a rally, and although scoring two home runs, it wasn’t enough. The loss for the Astros tied up the series at one apiece. The winning pitcher was Eovaldi, and the loser was Garcia.

Game Three:

If the Houston Astros looked back to the last game at their home park as a miserable failure, they were in store for even greater embarrassment at Fenway Park in game three. But, instead, the Boston Red Sox piled on the runs, twelve of them to put the Sox up two games to one.

The Red Sox sent out Eduardo Rodriguez to start facing Jose Urquidy. Just like in the previous game, the Astros were out of the game early. The Red Sox scored nine runs in the first three innings. It was a chilly autumn night in Boston but even colder for the Astros. In the second inning, Boston got on board with an RBI hit by Christain Vazquez. Then, JD Martinez scored on a line drive that bounced off Jose Altuve. Boston 2-0. Then with the bases loaded, Kyle Schwarber got a Grand Slam Boston 6-0. In the third, Renfroe scored, then Christian Arroyo hit a two-run blast into the green monster stands to make it 9-0 Boston.

In the top of the fourth inning, Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer for the Astros, but again just as in the last game, it was too little too late. Meanwhile, Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez pitched masterfully through six innings. In the bottom of the sixth, J.D. Martinez struck again, this one a two-run shot into the green monster to make it 11-3 Boston. In the bottom of the eight, Devers tacked another run up into that same monster for the final score of 12-3 Boston, putting the Red Sox up two games to one in the series with two more games at Fenway. The winning pitcher was Rodriguez, and the loser Urquidy.

Game Four:

Game four was a turnaround for the Astros as they won the second game at Fenway Park 9-2. In the very first inning, the Astros struck early with an Alex Bregman homer over the green monster against Boston pitcher Nick Pivetta. Then, in the bottom, with one on, Xander Bogaerts shot one onto Landsdown St. putting the Red Sox up by one. But, unfortunately, that would be the Red Sox only scoring for the night. After that, neither team would score another run in the next six innings.

In the top of the eighth inning, Jose Altuve, who had been 0 for 12 in this series, launched a solo shot that hit the Nationals rental sign over the green monster making it a tied game at two apiece. But there was much more to come as the Astros scored another seven runs in the top of the ninth inning, with starter Nathan Eovaldi on the mound pinch-hitter Castro with one on doubled driving in a run. That did it for Eovaldi being replaced by Perez in a bases-loaded jam. Then, Brantley hit a bases-clearing double to center. Finally, Alverez doubled driving in Brantley. Just like that, it was 9-2 Astros, a deficit the Sox couldn’t recover from.

Game Five:

In game five, the Houston Astros repeated Tuesday night, scoring another nine runs to the Red Sox 1 run, forcing the series back to MinuteMaid Park in Houston. The first inning was scoreless for both teams. At the top of the second, Alverez slammed one into green monster stands to put the Astros up by one. In the sixth, Alverez doubled to the left-field wall driving in another Astros run with two on. Gurriel drove in another run. Siri with two on popped into center, driving in both runs, and it was 6-0 Astros.

Houston scored another run in the top of the seventh. In the bottom, Rafael Devers who homered just to the left of the Pesky Pole in the right for the Red Sox only run of the game. In the top of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded, Gurriel singled, driving in two more Astros runs and making it 9-1 Astros. The Sox remained scoreless at the bottom.

Game Six:

Last night was game six of the seven-game series back in Houston. With the Astros up three games to two, it was an elimination game for the Red Sox; they had to win or go home. The Red Sox sent out Nathan Eovaldi to start. The Astros starter was Luis Garcia. With a standing-room-only crowd, fans in the stands saw the “Rally Nun” throw out the first pitch. The Rally Nuns are the Astros’ lucky charm.

The Astros heavenly or not, struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Yordan Alverez had an RBI double that was missed by Kiki Hernandez, giving the Astros the 1-0 lead. The following five and a half innings were scoreless for both teams as the Astros’ Luis Garcia took his Astros no hitting the sox into the sixth inning. The Astros tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth. When Yordan Alverez made a good read on a double play, he scored from third base to make it 2-0 Astros.

The Houston Astros weren’t done. In the bottom of the eighth, with Adam Ottavion on the mound for the Red Sox and two on base, Kyle Tucker hit a three-run blast into the stands in left field for the 5-0 Astros lead. With the season’s last licks on the line for the Boston Red Sox in the top of the ninth and Astros’ closer Ryan Pressly on the mound, Kiki Hernandez stepped to the plate and flew out to left. Rafael Devers stuck out. Xander Bogaerts flew out to left, and the Astros won the American League Pennant.

This series between the Red Sox and the Astros have been a home run-fest for anyone who likes a lot of action in a baseball game. There have been three Grand Slams, 20 home runs and a total of 64 runs scored. But that was not the only excitement in the games. Both teams have made some fantastic defensive plays. Just when it looked like the Red sox couldn’t be stopped, the Astro came roaring back to win the last three in a row. Dusty Baker and his Houston Astros are going to the World Series for the third time in five years. The Boston Red Sox, for their part, could only muster up two hits in the game.

The final score was the Houston Astros 5 and the Boston Red Sox 0. The Red Sox had never been shut out in a postseason elimination game. The winning pitcher was starter Luis Garcia, and the loser was starter Nathan Eovaldi.