Just when you think you’re out, the Red Sox find a way to pull you back in.
Fresh off Wednesday night’s dramatic extra-innings victory, the Red Sox clobbered the Houston Astros 17-1 on Thursday afternoon to split the crucial four-game series. Now after looking dead in the water following two depressing losses to start the week, the Red Sox return to Fenway Park with renewed momentum and have yet another opportunity to climb back into the playoff hunt.
Thursday’s finale was over before it even got started. Alex Verdugo led off with a solo home run on the third pitch of the game, and the Red Sox pounded Astros starter J.P. France from there. Boston added four more runs in the second and really blew things open with six more in the third, sending 11 men to the plate before the Astros could finally work their way out of the inning.
France, who entered the game with a 2.75 ERA in 17 starts, was finally lifted after 2.1 innings and was ultimately charged with 10 runs on 11 hits with two walks, three strikeouts and two home runs in by far the worst outing of his career. In addition to Verdugo’s leadoff bomb Red Sox rookie Wilyer Abreu went deep for his first career MLB homer, a two-run shot in the second that made it 3-0.
By the end of the third inning all nine of Boston’s starters had recorded at least one hit, and by the game’s end all nine starters had an RBI as well. The Red Sox recorded season highs in runs (17) and hits (24), and Abreu finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 4 for 5 with a walk and four RBI to lead the way. Connor Wong and Verdugo each had four hits as well, and Devers finished with three RBI.
Needless to say, Brayan Bello had plenty of breathing room while he navigated Houston’s lineup. Not that he needed it.
Bello posted his second straight quality start, holding the Astros to one run over seven innings of work. Houston did get plenty of traffic, with Bello scattering nine hits and three walks over the course of his outing, but he also limited the Astros to 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Houston’s lone run came on an RBI single by Alex Bregman in the fifth inning.
By going as deep as he did Bello also gave the bullpen a needed break after a couple of busy nights, and Mauricio Llovera was able to wrap things up with two scoreless innings.
Brandon Bielak also gave Houston a big lift, coming on in relief of France and throwing 112 pitches over 5.1 innings of mop-up duty. Starting catcher Martin Maldonado moved to the mound to finish the ninth, allowing four more runs on a series of meatballs and eephus pitches before it was finally, mercifully over.
Boston finishes their longest road trip of the season 6-4 and now stands 3.5 games below the playoff cutline with about five weeks left to play. Houston (72-57) and Seattle (71-56) are tied for the second and third Wild Card spots with Toronto in position to move within a half-game later Thursday night. Eventually the Red Sox will have to jump two of those teams if they hope to make the postseason field.
That won’t be easy, especially with Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers coming to town this weekend and Houston flying back down to Boston right afterwards. But however things may have looked at their lowest moments, for now the Red Sox have found a way to stay alive.
Grant Gambrell, one of the pitching prospects acquired in the Andrew Benintendi trade, was promoted to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday.
The 25-year-old right-hander joined the Red Sox in 2021 as a player to be named later in the Benintendi deal and has quickly risen through the ranks this summer after injuries derailed his progress over his first two years with the organization.
Gambrell was shut down in late 2021 and missed all of 2022 after undergoing five procedures to remove a benign tumor in his heel bone. Now finally healthy, Gambrell started this season in High-A Greenville and has since been promoted twice, posting a 3.81 ERA over 115.2 innings split between Greenville and Double-A Portland.
Gambrell, a former third-round pick by the Kansas City Royals and a member of Oregon State’s 2018 College World Series championship team, is scheduled to make his Triple-A debut on Saturday in Rochester.
A quick heads up for Red Sox fans planning on watching Mookie Betts’ long-awaited return to Fenway Park, Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers will not be broadcast on NESN but will instead be streamed nationally on Apple TV+.
The highly anticipated matchup was picked up as part of Apple’s seven-year, $85 million per year steaming deal with Major League Baseball, which began last season and gives Apple exclusive rights to one game a week on Friday nights throughout the season.
Fans can subscribe to Apple TV+ for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. More information and step-by-step instructions on how to watch “Friday Night Baseball” can be found at support.apple.com.