The game started out with dueling home runs in the first, first the Astros, then the Red Sox. Trevor Story’s own homer in the third put the Sox in front.
Today, we got our first look at Steven Matz. The Sox plans for him have been a bit of a mystery; would he be used as a one-inning guy, or could he go longer? He began by issuing a walk, then struck out Jose Altuve on a swing that made his batting helmet fly off. That was fun. It turns out Matz is a one-inning guy, at least for today.
Also fun was
when the benches cleared at the end of the seventh inning, when Hector Neris got angry about Trevor Story allegedly stealing signs as he waited on second base. Neris took it up with our third-base coach as the players headed to the dugouts because he’s a big baby. Will Middlebrooks scoffing at the irony of the Astros complaining about stealing signs and exclaiming “Jesus!” in disgust was one of my favorite moments of the game.
Jorge Alcala made things interesting in the ninth, allowing two baserunners (a walk and a hit). He had a short leash though, as Aroldis Chapman quickly came in, threw some 101 MPH heat, and closed it out.
Studs
Red Sox Infield
Offensively, Story, Romy González, and Abraham Toro homered. González’s began the game and got us on the board. Today’s Big Three also turned a sweet double play that saved Buehler’s hide in the fourth. Bregman had one of his usual, excellent scoop-dig-and-turns to nail a runner at second and made a great catch up against the netting in foul territory in the ninth.
They combined for 5H, 6 RBI, 4R, 3 HR.
Bullpen
Justin Wilson, Matz, Garrett Whitlock, Jordan Hicks, and Chapman all did their jobs. They held it down after Buehler exited after just 4.1 innings. Even when Hicks got into a bases-loaded jam with Carlos Correa at the plate (who’d had two earlier hits), he blew a fastball right by him to end the inning. Yeehaw.
Honorable Mention
The Booth
I never thought I’d say this, and I’m really grumpy today but I thought Dave O’Brien’s home run calls were great. He brought the emotion he frequently seems to miss; his excitement felt good and mirrored my own. As noted above, Middlebrooks’ outrage at Neris was both genuine and genuinely fun.
Duds
Walker Buehler
Like the Astros’ starter, Buehler gave up a home run in the first inning. Not great, and he got in some jams in the second and third innings. He cleaned up his act a little bit in the fourth and faced only three batters, thanks to a sweet 6-4-3 double play, but his angry outburst (kicking the air and screaming the F-bomb) as he came out of the game in the fifth said it all.
Final line: 4.1 IP, 9H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 HR
Jorge Alcala
Although he wasn’t allowed the time to potentially bail himself out of a jam, did he deserve any more time? He got a quick hook after issuing a walk and a hit and getting just one out (Bregman’s catch in foul territory). On a different day, maybe it works out, but with an early game tomorrow morning, there was no time to mess around.
Play of the Game
Trevor Story’s two-run home run in the third gave the Sox the lead. It hit the top of the Plymouth Rock sign and sailed off onto Lansdowne Street, but I also loved the way Story licked his lips as he watched it go. Tasty.
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