HOUSTON – A thunderclap of power, no doubt, catapulted the Boston Red Sox into the record books and possibly in command of their American League championship series against the Houston Astros.
The Red Sox made history on Saturday before many Minute Maid Park fans could finish their chips and queso, with a pair of crackling grand slams from JD Martinez and Rafael Devers in the opening two innings. Kiké Hernández would later hit another wall ball at the back of the Crawford Boxes, his fifth homer in five games, equaling franchise legend David Ortiz (and Todd Walker) for most of the Red Sox’s playoff homers.
They took a nine-point lead and returned home, beating the Astros 9-5 to line up this 1-1 series, and a pair of dizzying post-slam celebrations are sure to be the postcard of this game.
Yet while his performance was neither historic nor particularly remarkable, the real unicorn in this game was Boston starting pitcher Nate Eovaldi.
You see, in a series between the AL’s top two teams, Eovaldi’s name is the only one written in pen when his manager prepares his pitching plans.
In a series where Game 1 starters each pitched 2 inning and Houston Game 2 starter Luis Garcia came out after an inning and a batter with reported knee irritation, Eovaldi’s effort 5 provides some separation in a powerful, evenly-matched but undeniably flawed series.
And in those AL playoffs, a team’s starting pitcher has only recorded a sixth inning out three times.
Eovaldi did it twice, in Game 4 on Saturday and in AL’s win over the New York Yankees. The third performance? It belongs to Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr., who pitched 6 ⅔ innings to beat the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of their AL Division series.
McCullers came out of this ALCS due to swelling in his forearm. Garcia could join him in the infirmary with his knee disease. Jake Odorizzi, an option to start Game 4 for the Astros, had to absorb four sets of emergency relief – giving Devers the grand slam – after Garcia’s brutal exit.
Do you see where this is going?
Astros manager Dusty Baker will look to Jose Urquidy, an arm tested in the World Series, in Game 3 Monday in Boston. Still, Urquidy has only made 32 career starts and wears a career independent pitching mark of 4.13, the kind of starter the voracious Boston hitters chew and throw.
Not that they should be too comfortable. Red Sox coach Alex Cora was far from enthusiastic on Saturday morning when he discussed his plans for Game 3.
“We’ll get there when we get there,” he said. “We’re not going to name a starter for Game 3.”
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So while Game 1, a 5-4 win in Houston, was aesthetically pleasing, it also required both teams to deploy eight pitchers. More games of lifters or inconsistent starters loom in games 3 to 5 at Fenway Park – and diminishing returns from overworked arms can follow.
On Saturday, the Red Sox got a head start in this war of attrition. Hernández is now 16 for 32 in these playoffs, an instant attack always, it seems. They will have Eovaldi ready for a Game 6 here next week, provided the Astros can win at least one game with Urquidy, TBA and Framber Valdez at Fenway Park.
Don’t carve that in stone, however. Thanks to two games of this poor pitching ALCS, we have learned that everything is subject to change.