Hi all. Here’s how I see baseball on this Monday, Oct. 15. After Chris Sale’s performance Saturday led to an unexpected defeat, the Red Sox were in dire straits as last night’s game began. However, Boston took a 7-5 win. Even Without a win from David Price, who still hasn’t won a playoff start, Boston and the Astros are square at a game apiece as the Old Town Team heads to Houston.
From the start it was clear that the Astros’ starter Gerrit Cole didn’t have it. The Red Sox derailed the Cole Train in their half of the first. Mookie Betts doubled off the distant center field wall, followed by RBI singles from Adam Benintendi and Rafael Devers. The Red Sox had a 5-4 lead in the 5th. However, their manager Alex Cora pulled Price one out shy of going the 5 innings required to pick up a win. His bull pen got the job done, giving up just a run in the remaining 4.1 innings while their bats put two insurance runs across the plate. Danbury native and Former UConn star Matt Barnes struck out Marwin Gonzalez with two men on to end the fifth, then didn’t give up a run in the sixth. He was credited with the win. With the Astros ahead 4–2 in the home third, Jackie Bradley JR. hit a double with the bases loaded. The home team never looked back. Houston didn’t help their own cause in the 7th when a walk, a wild pitch and two passed balls by catcher Martin Maldonado led to a run. Between the Yankees’ Gary Sanchez, the Dodgers’ Yasmani Grandal and Maldonado, this postseason may come to be known as the year of bad defensive catchers.
Tonight’s only game will take place in Los Angeles where the Dodgers host the Brewers in game 3 of the NLCS. Both pitchers are making their second career postseason start. For the Brewers, Jhoulys Chacin pitched like the 10-year vet he is in his playoff game against the Rockies. He didn’t give up a run in 5 innings and allowed just 3 hits. Walker Buehler’s first playoff debut was another story. He took a night off, giving up 5 runs to the Braves in the only win Atlanta picked up in the Division series. Buehler, a youth of 24 hopes for a better performance in game 3 of this series which is even at a game apiece.