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HOUSTON – The Boston Red Sox would like to remind everyone: Never underestimate a team that has won 108 games.
David Price would like to remind everyone: It's never too late to change the labels you are given.
Behind a brilliant output from Price – thanks to a dominant change that prevented the Houston Astros from fighting for six scoreless innings – the Red Sox eliminated the defending champion with a 4-1 win in the fifth match of the season. the championship series of the American League to win their first trip to the World Series since 2013.
From MVP Jackie Bradley Jr.'s thrill to Alex Cora's nicest birthday present, here are some ALCS figures and notes.
After scoring six scoreless innings to earn his first playoff win and help put the Red Sox into the World Series, David Price described the feat as "one of the most special days in the world." I've never had it on the baseball field. "
While Alex Bregman says the Astros know that they should have been two consecutive champions, he claims that the loss of the League Series of the American League against the Red Sox will motivate his team in 2019.
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To say that this situation is annoying is not quite right, not when the Red Sox set a franchise record for wins and won the most games in major tournaments in 17 years. Still, the Astros were favored to win the series and after Houston won the first game when the Red Sox missed their way after scoring 10 goals, 3 batters and one mistake, many doubted the series would return to Fenway. .
They were right. He will not come back. The Red Sox have become the first team to play three road games in a series of championships since the Chicago White Sox in 2005 and will now have four days to rest before the start of the World Series on Tuesday in Boston.
"We have 108 wins, two or three guys do not do that," Martinez said as champagne corks jumped into the background in the merry clubhouse. "This is a complete team, all of this series, all these playoffs, is an example, we do it all year round, on this stage it is only a plus." big platform. "
Price, who finished with nine strikeouts and no walks, scored three days off and warmed up in the eighth and ninth inning Wednesday night in the fourth game. He came in with a 6.16 ERA in the playoffs, third worst ERA for anyone with at least 10 playoffs to begin. He left with his first playoff victory as a starter.
Price said his last thoughts before going to bed on Wednesday were aimed at making good shots. "Last night, I imagined doing this here," he said with an air of joy and relief mixed with beads of sweat and drops of champagne. Asked about the expectations of his family in front of the club, he stopped, the emotion filled his voice: "It's my rock."
Price has relied heavily on his difficult change of course that plunges under his lap when he is at work. He made it 39 times out of 93 shots, a 43% rate of change that exceeded all the beginnings of his career. And it worked. He caused 12 swings-and-misses on change only, which equates to the highest swing-and-miss total for any match – on any field – from his playoff career. Of these 39 changes, the Astros missed 12, committed 12, chased 16 who were out of the strike zone and put only five in play.
"It was good," said Price about the field. "It was good in the office, the warming got better as the game progressed, I made some adjustments after the fourth inning and it was huge."
Three innings later, Rafael Devers made the decisive blow with a three-point homer in front of Verlander. Mitch Moreland led with a brace of the short porch in the left field, just inches from the glove of a Tony Kemp leaping, a ball that only had a 4% chance to hit, via Statcast data. Ian Kinsler, a little surprising at second base, sent a solid player in the right field to put the riders in the bends.
Devers followed, swinging at the first offering, a fastball at 200 km / h at the top of the strike zone, lifting a huge fly ball towards the center left which slipped into the corner of the Crawford squares, just 50 meters away. Indeed, Crawford's boxes hurt the local home team that night: considering the climate neutrality, it's not a home run in another park.
The last round of Price, the sixth, started by bringing Alex Bregman on a flying ball to the right field. You can say that the series turned when the Red Sox started to run to Bregman – instead of walking – and get him out. In his last 11 appearances at the plate, Bregman scored a goal against one on a score of 0 to 10. Three of the biggest outs of the series clashed against Bregman:
(1) His ball at the end of the match in the second match of Fenway against Craig Kimbrel almost equalized the match, but was caught by Andrew Benintendi just in front of the Green Monster.
(2) His line-up in the middle of the pitch in the seventh inning of the third game, with the Red Sox holding a 3-2 lead and tied for second base.
(3) The dramatic finale of match 4, when Benintendi's lethal dive with the heavy bases ensured the Red Sox's victory.
This does not hit Bregman, but highlights the importance of the Red Sox who need – at some point – to get him out. It's also a reminder of the intense nature of baseball in the playoffs. If one of these three outs goes in the other direction, who knows how the series turns and turns.
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Scott Van Pelt talks with J.D. Martinez about the elimination of Astros, David Price's big game, and is looking forward to the World Series.
There was also the question of getting the last nine outs. Matt Barnes had two, and then Alex Cora turned to the third starter, Nathan Eovaldi. Like everything else, Cora made this playoff series, it worked out perfectly since Eovaldi won the final on the seventh and worked around a single in the eighth, removing Jose Altuve on a hard line in the center.
That was all for Eovaldi. Cora did not want to burn it for too long. "There was a chance that there was a seventh game," said Cora. "And we had to be prepared for that, we knew the lean [Chris Sale] was ready for match 6, but in case there would be a match 7 he would [Eovaldi]. And no way I push him to lose him and lose the game. "
Then he turned to Kimbrel, who had been 4-in-4 in the opportunities to save in the playoffs – but allowed races in all four appearances and had thrown 35 shots in Game 4.
"Absolutely I was waiting to receive the call," Kimbrel said. "I felt good, I watched a video, I came back online."
The win means Cora won two games on her birthday – match 4 ended after midnight and Cora turned 43 on Thursday. "It's really great," laughs Kimbrel. "I do not know how many times he will be able to repeat that."
Ultimately, Benintendi's capture, Mookie Betts pitch, cheating controversy, and interference between fans and Devers Crawford boxes will be remembered with affection or anger. The durable image will however be Cora that will offer a big hug to Price after the final release.
I think all of New England has joined.
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