The Houston Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox 6-4 on Wednesday afternoon inside Daikin Park. The Astros (5-2) have now won five straight since dropping their first two of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Astros turned to Mike Burrows in looking for the sweep of the Sox. He struggled in the first, allowing two baserunners before Willson Contreras collected an RBI single. That gave Boston an early 1-0 lead.
The Houston offense, who entered play having scored 37 runs over their previous four games, got right to work. Off of Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, Isaac Paredes delivered an RBI double while Christian Walker added a run with a single. That gave Houston a 2-1 lead, but it was short-lived.
Burrows gave up a hit by pitch and a double to start the second. Then, Jarren Duran drove home a run with a fielder’s choice, knotting the game up again, this time at two.
After a sluggish start for both starters, they each settled in after the second inning. They would put up matching zeroes until the fifth.
In that fifth, Carlos Correa made his mark on the game. He hit a three-run home run, giving Houston a 5-2 lead and leaving Crochet with a rare ugly line on the mound.
Houston added another with a Christian Vasquez solo homer to make it 6-2. However, Wilyer Abreu responded with a homer in the eighth, cutting it back to three at 6-3.
That 6-3 score would hold until the ninth. With Bryan Abreu on for the save, Roman Anthony launched a solo home run to start the frame, cutting the lead to 6-4. Abreu would put out the flame after that, clinching a win for Houston.
BIG NUMBER: 23
The Astros scored 23 runs over the three-game sweep over the Red Sox. Their offense has exploded ever since a slow start in the first two games of the season.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mike Burrows
Despite another shaky start, Burrows settled in and gave the Astros a decent outing. He tossed five innings, gave up just two runs, and struck out six.
UP NEXT: The Astros will enjoy their first off day of the season on Thursday. They will be back in action against the Athletics on Friday on the road. First pitch is set for 8:40 PM and can be heard on Newstalk 98.5 FM.
