Houston Astros’ road to the World Series
The Houston Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox three games to one in the best-of-five American League Division Series and the New York Yankees in seven games in the AL Championship Series. Here’s what happened:
ALDS
GAME 1: Houston 8, Boston 2
Highlights: Astros second baseman Jose Altuve hit three home runs, two off of Red Sox ace Chris Sale, and Justin Verlander pitched six strong innings. Sale, who led the majors in strikeouts, gave up seven runs in five innings.
Quote: “I told him the last time I’ve seen three home runs in a game was Pablo Sandoval and I gave up two of them, so I’m glad there’s somebody new that’s done it.” — Verlander
GAME 2: Houston 8, Boston 2
Highlights: Carlos Correa homered , doubled and drove in four runs and Jose Altuve got two hits as the Astros defeated the Red Sox by the same score as Game 1. Dallas Keuchel pitched into the sixth, allowing one run and three hits while striking out seven.
Quote: “They’re very good, they’re deep, and they have got a number of ways to beat you.” — Boston Manager John Farrell.
GAME 3: Boston 10, Houston 3
Highlights: Hanley Ramirez had three hits and four RBIs and David Price pitched four scoreless innings in relief. Mitch Moreland had three of the Red Sox’s 15 hits, which is the same number of hits they had in the first two games combined. Boston scored six runs in the seventh to put the game away.
Quote: “I think that’s my job: Find a way to come through in big situations. It’s the playoffs. It’s go time.” — Ramirez.
GAME 4: Houston 5, Boston 4
Highlights: Verlander pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief to get the win and Josh Reddick had the go-ahead single in the eighth inning to send the Astros to a league championship series for the first time since 2005. The losing pitcher was Sale, also pitching in relief.
Quote: “That’s kind of the whole energy that he’s brought since we brought him over here. He’s brought an energy with him that, ‘Hey, when he’s out there, we’re going to win.’” — Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, on Verlander.
ALCS
GAME 1: Houston 2, New York 1
Highlights: Keuchel struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings and gave up only four hits, all singles, to improve to 8-2 with a 1.09 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees in the regular season and postseason combined. He joined Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott as the only Astros to reach double digits in strikeouts in a postseason game.
Quote: “I think it’s just pitch execution, and it’s just been there more times than it hasn’t against the Yankees.” —Keuchel
GAME 2: Houston 2, New York 1
Highlights: Altuve scored the winning run on Correa’s double in the bottom of the ninth inning off of Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. The relay throw beat Altuve to the plate, but Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez misplayed the ball, allowing Altuve to score.
Quote: “When I saw him running I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ And then, obviously, he beat it out.” — Correa
GAME 3: New York 8, Houston 1
Highlights: Aaron Judge hit a three-run homer and made two great defensive plays and Todd Frazier hit a three-run homer in the second to start the Yankees rolling. C.C. Sabathia gave up three hits over six scoreless innings for his first postseason win in five years.
Quote: “It’s such a cool feeling. I wish everybody could feel basically what I’m going through.” — Frazier
GAME 4: New York 6, Houston 4
Highlights: Judge’s home run in the seventh ignited a comeback that saw the Yankees rally from four runs down. He also had a score-tying double during a four-run eighth inning. Sanchez followed with a two-run double off of Astros closer Ken Giles for the win.
Quote: “The dreams aren’t the same as reality. To be out with the crowd and the atmosphere, it was unbelievable.” — Judge, on how he used to dream of playoff at-bats at Yankee Stadium.
GAME 5: New York 5, Houston 0
Highlights: Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and Sanchez had a home run and two RBIs. Judge, Greg Bird and Didi Gregorius also had big hits as the Yankees handed Keuchel his first postseason loss.
Quote: “Yankee Stadium is a tough place to play and it was rockin’ these three games, but it’s going to be rockin’ on Friday for us.” — Keuchel
GAME 6: Houston 7, New York 1
Highlights: Verlander pitched seven shutout innings and Altuve homered and had three RBIs to even the series. Astros center fielder George Springer made a leaping catch at the fence that robbed Todd Frazier of extra bases with two on in the seventh and the Astros up 3-0.
Quote: “I literally love Justin Verlander. The way he goes out there makes me feel like I have to go out there and play the same way he’s doing it.” — Altuve
GAME 7: Houston 4, New York 0
Highlights: Brian McCann, the former Yankees catcher whose $17-million salary is being paid in part by New York as a condition of a trade last November, had three RBIs and Astros starter Charlie Morton (five innings) and Lance McCullers Jr. (four innings) combined on a three-hitter to lead the Astros to only their second World Series appearance in franchise history.
Quote: “This city, they deserve this.” — McCullers
Twitter: @latimeshouston
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