26. 2019 AL Champion Houston Astros v. 90. 1949 Boston Red Sox
Last shot for the Astros to move on. Bang those trash cans. Last chance for the Red Sox to move on. The Boston Red Sox franchise will be out of the tournament if they can't get by Houston here. Should be fun. Who will claim the 26th spot?
Astros 107-57 Mgr AJ Hinch (5th AL MoY)
1st in AL West
d. Rays in ALDS
d. Yankees in ALCS
lost to Nationals in WS
d. #103 1948 Yankees (MVP-Michael Brantley)
All-Stars: OF Michael Brantley, 3B Alex Bregman (2nd AL MVP) SP Gerrit Cole (2nd AL Cy Young) RP Ryan Pressly, OF George Springer, SP Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young)
Red Sox 96-58 Mgr Joe McCarthy
2nd in AL
d. #39 1917 White Sox (MVP-Dom DiMaggio)
All Stars: OF Dom DiMaggio, 1B Billy Goodman, SP Mel Parnell, SS Vern Stephens, C Birdie Tebbetts, OF Ted Williams
Hall of Famers: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, Joe McCarthy
Red Sox-Joe McCarthy
3B Pesky (30) (LH) 104 3.6
LF Williams (30) (LH) 191 9.2
SS Stephens (28) 137 7.1
2B Doerr (31) 127 5.3
CF DiMaggio (32) 111 4.1
RF Zarilla (30) (LH) 98 .7
1B Goodman (23) (LH) 91 1
DH Batts (27) 84
C Tebbetts (36) 83 .9
P Parnell (27) (LH) 158 7.9
Bench
1B Hitchcock (32) 41
RF O'Brien (30) 72
SP2 Kinder (34) 130 4.5
SP3 Stobbs (19) (LH) 109 2.1
SP3 Dobson (32) 114 3
If Zarilla doesn't hit in games 1-2, O'Brien might get a game 3 start against a lefty starter. Stobbs/Dobson will depend on whether the Astros hit the lefty or righty better in the first two games.
Astros
RF Springer (29) 150 6.5
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
DH Alvarez (22) (LH) 173 3.8
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
CF Marisnick (28) 80 1.4
P Verlander (36) 179 7.6
Bench
RF Reddick (32) (LH) 89 1.6
1B White (28) 72
3B Diaz (28) 114
2B Kemp (27) (LH) 88
SS Straw (24) 92
SP2 Cole (28) 185 7.5
SP3 Miley (32) (LH) 116 1.6
Probably, Reddick plays against RH, Marisnick sits, Springer moves to center. Theoretically Alvarez could play left in Boston if Houston just had to have his bat in the lineup.
WAR Advantage:
C-Astros
1B-Astros
2B-Sox
SS-Sox
3B-Astros
LF-Sox
CF-Sox
RF-Astros
DH-Astros
SP1-Sox
SP2-Astros
SP3-Sox
Bullpen-Astros
WAR: Astros 7 Sox 6 -- Astros have the seed advantage and the slight WAR advantage, Williams/Bregman is a wash for top player in the series. Houston's a slight favorite to advance.
GAME ONE
1st: The great Justin Verlander stands on the Minute Maid Park mound; 21-6, 2.58. Verlander broke in with Detroit in '05, Rookie of the Year in '06, 5th in Cy Young in '07, 3rd in '09, won it in '11 and finished 2nd in '12. 4 years later he's 2nd and he's dealt to Houston during the '17 season for prospects. He's 5th in the Cy that year, 2nd in '18 and won it this year at the age of 36. 1-2-3
1st: Justin Verlander is a first ballot Hall of Famer - but Mel Parnell had more WAR this year. 25-7, 2.77. Parnell's in his third season, the best year he'll ever have, 4th in the MVP. he spends the rest of his caeer in Boston, retiring in '56 when he's 34. 1-2-3
2nd: Dom DiMaggio singles with one out. Like Parnell, Joe's brother Dom was with the Sox his whole career. Up in '40, missed '43-45 for the war, 9th in the MVP in '46, made the All Star team this year, leads the league in runs, triples, steals next year, leads in runs again in '51 and stops in '53, at the age of 36. That's it.
2nd: Carlos Correa singles. Correa was 20 in '15 when he was Rookie of the Year, he's made one All Star team, in '17. He's still an Astro in 2020. Michael Brantley singles two outs later, that's all.
3rd: 1-2-3
3rd: Jake Marisnick singles. He's 28, came up with the Marlins in '13, Houston dealt for him the next year. He's an Astro through 2019 and in 2020 joined the Mets. An out later, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez walks -- but Parnell gets through it.
4th: Ted Williams hits Justin Verlander's first pitch deep, deep into the left field stands and the Sox take the lead. Williams is 30; a decade ago he was 4th in the MVP as a rookie; led the league in OBP in '40. Back to back 2nd place MVP finishes the next 2 years before missing 3 seasons for the War. He came back in '46 and won the MVP, 2nd in '47, 3rd in '48. Won the MVP this year (so, it's MVP vs. Cy Young) Led in OPS+ in '51, 7th in MVP in '54, 4th in '55, 6th in '56, 2nd in '57 at the age of 38, 8th in '58, In 1960, in his final season at the age of 41, Williams had a 190 OPS+. Motherfucker could hit. Sox 1 Astros 0
4th: 35 year old Robinson Chririnos draws a 2 out walk. He came up with the Rays in '11 after 7 years in Texas this is his only Astros season and in 2020 he's a Met. Nothing results.
5th: Al Zarilla singles. Zarilla came up with the Browns in '43, he made his only All Star team in '48. The Sox dealt from him in May for Stan Spence; he leaves in '51, comes back in '52 and finishes here in '53. Billy Goodman then singles. Verlander bears down and gets through it.
5th: George Springer walks - Springer's 29, 8th in the Rookie of the Year five years prior; made the All Star team in '17 and '18 and was 7th in the MVP this year. He's an Astro in 2020. It ends there - real pitchers duel between Verlander and Parnell.
6th: The Splendid Splinter does it again - Williams bombs a homer to right center and it's 2-0. Vern Stephens follows with a base hit. Stephens came up with the Browns in '41, 4th in the MVP in '42, 9th in '43, 3rd in '44, 6th in '45, the Sox bought him last season and he was 4th in the MVP. This year he was 7th and led the league in RBI which he does again next year. He's sent to the White Sox in '53 and retired in '55 at 34. Sox 2 Astros 0
6th: Jose Altuve singles. He was 21 when broke in in '11, made the All Star team in '12, led the league in batting average in '14, in steals in '15, finished 3rd in the MVP in '16 and won it in '17. Altuve's most recent All Star appearance was '18; Yuli Gurriel walks, but Parnell gets through it unscathed and maintains the shutout.
7th: 1-2-3
7th: Springer singles with one out - can the Astros get on the board? Alex Bregman singles. Bregman was 22 in '16 when he broke in, finished 5th in the MVP last year, 2nd this year. Parnell gets the second out - but Correa singles - the Astros score a run. Altuve then singles to load the bases -- and with 2 out -- Gurriel comes through with 2 run single. Big roar from this sold out crowd - Houston's scored 3 in the 7th to take the lead. 33 year old RH Tex Hughson has a 5.33 ERA and he comes on for Boston. He ends it. Sox 2 Astros 3
8th: 1-2-3, 8 straight for Verlander.
8th: Marisnick singles with one out and then Hughson hits Springer - but it ends here and we go to the 9th.
9th: Bobby Doerr leads off with a single.
DiMaggio grounds to Correa - flip to second for one -- onto first...DiMaggio beats it out.
Verlander punches out Zarilla. Two away.
Goodman hits a lazy fly to center and it over.
Sox 2
Astros 3
WP Verlander
LP Parnell
Complete game win for Verlander - he strikes out 9 and walks none. Williams hits 2, but it's not enough as the Astros score 3 in the 7th to take game 1.
For the Astros..
Springer reached 2x
Bregman reached 2x
Correa reached 2x
Altuve reached 2x
Gurriel reached 2x
Marisnick reached 2x
For the Sox...
Williams reached 2x/2HR
One more in Houston - Astros looking for the home sweep.
3B Pesky (30) (LH) 104 3.6
LF Williams (30) (LH) 191 9.2
SS Stephens (28) 137 7.1
2B Doerr (31) 127 5.3
CF DiMaggio (32) 111 4.1
RF Zarilla (30) (LH) 98 .7
1B Goodman (23) (LH) 91 1
DH Batts (27) 84
C Tebbetts (36) 83 .9
SP2 Kinder (34) 130 4.5
CF Springer (29) 150 6.5
DH Alvarez (22) (LH) 173 3.8
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
RF Reddick (32) (LH) 89 1.6
SP2 Cole (28) 185 7.5
GAME TWO
1st: Up a game, the Astros go with 28 year old RH Gerrit Cole, 20-5, 2.50. Cole came up with the Pirates in '13, 4th in the Cy Young in '15, the Astros got him last year, he finished 5th in the Cy in '18 and then 2nd this year. In 2020, Cole's a Yankee. He gives up a 2 out single to Vern Stephens and then a double by Bobby Doerr - Stephens is thrown out at the plate by Michael Brantley in a really, really disputed call - Joe McCarthy is 62 years old and he loses his mind, nearly tossed from the game.
1st: Boston's trusting 34 year old RH Ellis Kinder to even up the series. 23-6, 3.36. Kinder, like many of these Red Sox, broke in with the Browns. He came to the Sox last season and this year was 5th in the MVP. Two years from now, he finishes 7th, He'll leave Boston for the Cardinals in '56 and finish in '57 as a 42 year old with the White Sox. 1-2-3
2nd: Al Zarilla doubles with one out, after the second out Matt Batts singles him home and the Sox take the lead. Batts is the backup catcher, serving as DH in Houston. This is Batts's third year, he will go to the Browns in '51, and finished with the Reds in '56. Birdie Tebbetts follows with a run scoring double of his own, and as they did in game one, the Sox take the lead. Pesky and Williams walk back to back to load the bases, that's all. Sox 2 Astros 0
2nd: Michael Brantley singles. We've seen Brantley with the Indians; this is his first year in Houston. Gurriel singles two outs later, that's it.
3rd: DiMaggio doubles with one out, that's all.
3rd: George Springer walks with one out and then Yordan Alvarez bombs a game tying 2 run shot to right. Alvarez won the Rookie of the Year this season, he has the highest OPS+ on this team. After the second out, Correa singles and Brantley walks. That's all. Sox 2 Astros 2
4th: Johnny Pesky hits a 2 out single. Pesky finished 3rd in the MVP in his rookie season in '42, then missed 3 years for the War; came back and finished 4th in '46. During the '52 season he's part of a big trade with the Tigers - George Kell and Dizzy Trout in the package to Boston - and he finishes with the Senators in '54. That's all.
4th: Yuli Gurriel doubles. An out later Josh Reddick singles him home and the Astros have taken the lead. George Springer then doubles and Alvarez comes through again - a bases clearing double; Alvarez has 4 RBI today and it's a big inning for the home team. Red Sox 2 Astros 5
5th: Stephens walks -- and then Bobby Doerr hits a 2 run homer to right that puts the Sox right back in this one. Doerr spent his entire 14 year career in Boston - up in '37, 7th in the MVP in '44, the War in '45, 3rd in the MVP in '46, this is actually the only year since he turned 23 that Doerr didn't make the All Star team, his last year is '51. DiMaggio walks and Zarilla doubles him home to tie this one up. Sox 5 Astros 5
5th: Gurriel singles with 2 outs, nothing else.
6th: 34 year old RH Will Harris has a 1.50 ERA and he takes over. Pesky singles, that's it.
6th: Alvarez singles with two out and Bregman puts the Astros back out in front with a 2 run homer. Tex Hughson enters, gives up a Correa single, that's all. Wild one here in Houston. Sox 5 Astros 7
7th: Harris gets one, then Zarilla singles, gets the second, then walks Batts and 31 year old RH Hector Rondon replaces him. Rondon's already advanced as the closer for the '16 Cubs; he ends it.
7th: Gurriel singles with one out, that's it.
8th: Pesky singles -- and then Ted Williams hits his third homer of the series -- a majestic shot to left that ties the score -- maybe a half smile on Williams's face as he rounds the bases - the Splendid Splinter had only one team in this tournament and he is making it count. 30 year old RH Ryan Pressly enters, gets an out and then walks Doerr - gets a second out and then Zarilla singles, we're all tied up. Sox 7 Astros 7
8th: 30 year old lefty Earl Johnson is the new Sox pitcher; he gets one but then gives up back to back singles to Springer/Alvarez. 20 year old lefty Mickey McDermott is Boston's 5th starter and he now comes on - he gets the second out but then Correa singles to break the tie. Brantley then singles to load them up - that's all. Sox 7 Astros 8
9th: 24 year old RH Roberto Osuna has 38 saves and a 2.63 ERA and he comes on to close -
Batts grounds to first. One.
Tebbetts sharply singles to center. Tying run on
Pesky grounds to short -- flip to second -- to first. Double play.
Sox 7
Astros 8
WP Pressly
LP Johnson
32 combined hits - the Astros won the tight pitchers duel, the Astros now win the slugfest, each by 1 run late.
For the Astros..
Springer reached 5x
Alvarez 4x in game 2/wHR
Bregman reached 3x w/HR
Correa reached 5x
Brantley 3x in game 2
Altuve reached 2x
Gurriel reached 6x
Marisnick reached 2x
For the Sox...
Williams reached 4x/3HR
Pesky reached 4x in game 2
Stephens 2x in game 2
Doerr 3x in game 2 w/HR
DiMaggio 2x in game 2
Zarilla 4x in game 2
Batts 2x in game 2
Tebbetts 2x in game 2
Two 1 run wins in Houston for the Astros - the series shifts to Fenway. Sox need them both.
RF Springer (29) 150 6.5
3B Bregman (25) 162 9.2
SS Correa (24) 137 3.3
2B Altuve (29) 131 3.7
1B Gurriel (35) 126 3.8
LF Brantley (32) (LH) 126 3.9
C Chirinos (35) 105 2.8
CF Marisnick (28) 80 1.4
SP3 Miley (32) (LH) 116 1.6
SS Stephens (28) 137 7.1
2B Doerr (31) 127 5.3
LF Williams (30) (LH) 191 9.2
CF DiMaggio (32) 111 4.1
3B Pesky (30) (LH) 104 3.6
RF Zarilla (30) (LH) 98 .7
C Tebbetts (36) 83 .9
1B Goodman (23) (LH) 91 1
SP3 Stobbs (19) (LH) 109 2.1
GAME THREE
1st The Sox turn to a lefty, hoping to hold Houston to that game 1 offense, it's 19 year old Chuck Stobbs, 11-6, 4.03. Stobbs was just 17 when he broke in two years ago, this is his first year in the rotation. He'll head to the Pale Hose in '52 and pitch until '61 with the Twins. He walks Bregman with one out, then after the second out Altuve drives home Houston's first run with a double. Gurriel walks - and Brantley clears the bases with a double of his own; it's a big first inning and they are thinking sweep in the Astros dugout. Astros 3 Sox 0
1st: Wade Miley goes for the Astros; Zack Greinke's on this team, but just didn't pitch enough to qualify to start in this series, so we have the big dropoff from the first two starters. Miley's a 32 year old lefty, 14-6, 3.98, he broke in back in '11 with Arizona and was 2nd in the Rookie of the Year the following season. Miley spent a year with these Red Sox in '15, this is his only season in Houston, he's a Red in 2020. 1-2-3.
2nd: Marisnick singles, two outs later he scores on a Bregman single, the Astros are up 4 and are poised to sweep this series and face the '99 Braves in the next round. Astros 4 Sox 0
2nd: With one out - 3 straight singles - Pesky/Zarilla/Tebbetts and the Sox are on the board. Astros 4 Sox 1
3rd: 1-2-3
3rd: Stobbs is left in, he walks, and an out later Bobby Doerr hits his second homer of the series, a 2 run shot that cuts the lead to 4-3 and Boston refuses to go quietly. Williams walks and an out later Pesky singles - that's it. Astros 4 Sox 3
4th: Marisnick singles again, after an out, Springer walks and another Bregman run scoring single follows. Correa walks to load the bases and another run scores on an Altuve groundout. That ends Stobbs' day, 29 year old RH Walt Masterson enters. Gurriel reaches on an error that scores another run and there's just nothing Boston can do to get over this hump. Astros 7 Sox 3
4th: Billy Goodman walks with one out. That's all.
5th: Miley singles with 2 out, that's it.
5th: Doerr walks and out later DiMaggio gets hit - nothing results.
6th: One out - Correa singles, Altube/Gurriel walk. Loaded. Tex Hughson comes on and walks in a run, Brantley going to first. An out later Marisnick walks. Astros 9 Sox 3
6th: 32 year old RH Collin McHugh takes the ball for Houston; he walks Zarilla, gives up a Tebbetts single, then walks Goodman. Loaded. Looks like the last stand for Boston. McHugh gets one, then throws a wild pitch to score a run. He gets the second - then Doerr clears the bases with a triple and the Sox have scored 3. Walt Harris comes on to end it. Astros 9 Sox 6
7th: Earl Johnson comes on - Bregman singles with one out, but nothing else. Can the Sox keep pecking away?
7th: Pesky walks with one out and Zarilla singles - that brings the tying run to the plate and the Fenway crowd is up and roaring as Hector Rondon comes on to pitch; he escapes.
8th: Gurriel singles. That's it. 6 outs away from the sweep.
8th: Batts hits for the pitcher - walks. That's all. 3 outs from the sweep.
9th: Mickey McDermott enters, he gives up a two out Springer single but that's it.
9th: Roberto Osuna enters.
Ted Williams comes to the plate at Fenway, maybe for the final time in this tournament - he flies to center.
DiMaggio grounds to third.
Pesky grounds to first and its done.
Astros 9
Sox 6
WP Miley
LP Stobbs
The 26th team to advance to the round of 32 - the '19 Astros, they sweep Boston and will face the '99 Braves. Lot of pitching in that one.
Springer reached 7x
Alvarez 4x in game 2/wHR
Bregman reached 7x w/HR
Correa reached 7x
Brantley 5x in game 2-3
Altuve reached 4x
Gurriel reached 9x
Marisnick reached 5x
Gurriel is going to get this one - he had the big game winning hit in game one and reached 9 times in the series.
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