 pounce on Red Sox, win 12-2 1h ago• 2 min read BOSTON Major league batting leader Jose Altuve had three of Houston's 17 hits, Carlos Correa had four and the Astros chased Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the second inning to win 12-2 on Thursday night and keep Boston from clinching the first back-to-back AL East championships in franchise history.Despite the loss, the Red Sox were guaranteed no worse than a tie for the division title when the Yankees lost 9-6 to Tampa Bay.Boston needs one more win or Yankees loss to win the division; otherwise, the teams would meet in a one-game tie-breaker in New York on Monday to see who needs to play in the wild-card game and who advances to the AL Division Series - likely facing the Astros.Altuve had two singles and his 39th double to raise his batting average to .350. Brad Peacock (13-2) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings, striking out two and walking one for the AL West champion Astros.Marwin Gonzalez hit a three-run double in the first inning, and Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer off Rodriguez (6-7) in the second. Correa had an RBI double in the fourth, when the Astros scored four runs, and added a two-run homer in the seventh. Brian McCann also homered for Houston.Mitch Moreland homered for Boston.The Astros had already clinched the AL West title. They remain one game behind the Cleveland Indians in the chase for the best record in the league and home-field advantage through the AL Championship Series.QUICK WORKRodriguez got in trouble early, loading the bases with one out in the first on a walk and two singles. After Evan Gattis struck out looking, Gonzalez hit a bases-clearing double into the right-center gap.Rodriguez got the first two outs of the second before George Springer singled and Bregman hit an 0-2 pitch out to make it 5-0. After a visit by the pitching coach, the Red Sox left-hander walked Correa and that was it. In all Rodriguez allowed five runs, six hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings, striking out two.TRAINER'S ROOMAstros: RF Josh Reddick (sore back) missed his fourth straight game. He had been expected to return on Thursday night, but manager A. J. Hinch said Reddick felt sore after the flight to Boston. ''Any semblance of soreness or tentativeness on his part, and he's just not going to play. It's not worth it for one game until the soreness is gone,'' Hinch said.Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts returned to the lineup after missing two games with inflammation in his left wrist. He was hitless in three at-bats.UP NEXTThe teams play Game 2 of their four-game, season-ending series on Friday night. RHP Charlie Morton (13-7, 3.63 ERA), who has won two straight starts and three of four in September, will face Boston RHP Doug Fister (5-8, 4.87), who is winless in his last three starts as he faces his former team.)
Red Sox-Astros series could be playoff preview 1h ago• 3 min read BOSTON -- The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox might be seeing a lot of each other in the next two weeks.If the Red Sox are able to wrap up the American League East, which they lead over the New York Yankees by three games, they might be matched up with the Astros in the AL Division Series.Boston and Houston begin a four-game, season-ending series Thursday night at Fenway Park, and both teams still have much to play for.Houston (98-60) has long since wrapped up the AL West title, and it capped a three-game sweep of the host Texas Rangers with a 12-2 victory Wednesday.However, the Astros are still in contention with the Cleveland Indians (99-59) for the best record in the AL."This is an important stretch for us," said Houston's George Springer, who hit a grand slam Wednesday. "We know we're heading to the playoffs, and to have the whole team top to bottom swinging the bats, I thought the pitching staff again was great. ... It (was) a good three games for us." The Astros outscored the Rangers 37-7 in the series.Meanwhile, the Red Sox have had trouble putting away the Yankees in the division race, but their magic number to clinch the division is down to two.The Red Sox can clinch the division with a victory Thursday and a Yankees loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.Boston (92-66) had won six straight and nine of 10 before losing two of three this week to the last-place Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox avoided a sweep with a 10-7 victory on Wednesday.Should the Red Sox win the AL East, they would face the Astros or Indians in the best-of-five ALDS.The next two days could decide a lot about the order of the Red Sox's postseason rotation, too.After Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz, that is.Eduardo Rodriguez and Doug Fister are both squarely in the running for Boston's third spot as reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello's season-long struggles haven't subsided.Rodriguez (6-6, 3.91 ERA) takes the ball in the opener against the Astros, and Fister will pitch Friday.Fister is the only member of the Red Sox's current rotation with a playoff victory, but a strong showing from Rodriguez could leapfrog him into the No. 3 spot."That's going to be the best feeling in the world," Rodriguez said about potentially starting a playoff game. "That's what everybody who's started a game in the playoffs has told me already." The young southpaw has only faced the Astros once, during his rookie season on July 5, 2015, at Fenway Park. Rodriguez allowed one run and six hits with two walks and a then-career-high eight strikeouts in five innings.AL MVP contender Jose Altuve is 0-for-3 with two strikeouts lifetime against Rodriguez. Carlos Beltran (2-for-8) and Jake Marisnick (1-for-2) each have one RBI against him.Brad Peacock (12-2, 2.98 ERA) has certainly shown off his feathers this season, and a 13th victory Thursday would place a bow on top of his career year.The right-hander entered the 2017 season with 11 career victories, a total he matched Sept. 14 against the Los Angeles Angels and surpassed in his last outing on Sept. 20 against the Chicago White Sox.Peacock is 0-2 with a 12.38 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox and 0-1 with an 11.74 ERA in two starts at Fenway Park.Brock Holt is 2-for-4 with a solo home run against Peacock. Dustin Pedroia is 3-for-6 and Mitch Moreland is 1-for-11 with six strikeouts lifetime against Peacock.
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