Astros pour it on, win 7-2 over Red Sox in Game 1 of ALCS

Runs and hits were scarce at first at Fenway Park on Saturday night, but the Houston Astros outlasted the Boston Red Sox to win 7-2 and take a 1-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

Chris Sale only gave up one hit, but he struggled with both command and velocity in his four innings and left trailing 2-0.

The Astros scored two runs off Sale in the 2nd inning when George Springer lined a two-out shot under the glove of third baseman Eduardo Nunez, scoring Carlos Correia and Martin Maldonado.

Justin Verlander pitched better than Sale, and was cruising until the 5th inning when he loaded the bases.

He gave up two runs by walking one run in with the bases loaded, and allowing the tying run to score by throwing a wild pitch.

At the end of the 5th inning, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Joe Hoy. Both teams were not happy with Hoy's strike zone for most of the game.

In the 6th, the Astros took the lead for good when Carlos Correia hit a two out broken bat single off Joe Kelly to bring in Alex Bregman with the go ahead run.

Josh Reddick would add another run and make it a 4-2 Houston lead in the 9th with a solo home run off of Brandon Workman. Yuli Gurriel added a three-run shot of his own to make it 7-2.

The Red Sox would go quietly in the bottom of the 9th and lose by the 7-2 final.

Game 2 is 7:00 Sunday night at Fenway Park, with David Price pitching for the Red Sox against Gerrit Cole for the Astros.

Be sure to download the Boston 25 app for updates throughout the ALCS.

SCORING UPDATES:

11:51 p.m.: A three-run homer from Yuli Gurriel makes it 7-2 Astros in the ninth, forcing a larger deficit for the Red Sox to try and bounce back from in the bottom of the ninth.

11:38 p.m.: Josh Reddick makes it a 4-2 game in the ninth inning with a solo shot to right center field on the second pitch he sees from Brandon Workman.

11:25 p.m: A double play gets the Red Sox out of the top of the eighth, as they look to do damage and tie things up in the bottom of the inning.

11:03 p.m.: In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Red Sox look to tie things up in a 3-2 game, with Ryan Pressly taking over on the mound for the Astros.

10:30 p.m.: Carlos Correa drives in a run off Joe Kelly to make it 3-2 in the sixth inning. Matt Barnes comes in to replace Kelly on the mound.

10:12 p.m.: After Andrew Benintendi was called out on strikes with runners on second and third to end the fifth inning, Red Sox manager was ejected for arguing with the home plate umpire.

10:08 p.m.: Jackie Bradley Jr. scores on a wild pitch to tie things up at 2-2 for the Red Sox in the fifth inning.

10:05 p.m.: With the bases loaded, Justin Verlander walks Mitch Moreland for his third straight walk to cut the lead to 2-1 Astros in the fifth inning.

9:40 p.m.: Joe Kelly takes over on the mound for Chris Sale, who gave up two runs and one hit with four walks on 86 pitches for the Red Sox through four innings.

9:18 p.m.: Justin Verlander retires his seventh straight batter to keep the lead at 2-0 for the Astros after three innings.

8:58 p.m.: After two full innings, the Astros hold on to a 2-0 lead.

8:49 p.m.: With the bases loaded, George Springer drives in two on a single to left to make it 2-0 Astros in the second inning.

8:31 p.m.: The Astros survive a scary situation of their own, ending the first inning with a double play to keep things at 0-0 going into the second inning.

8:22 p.m.: The Red Sox make it out of a bizarre first inning, with two double play chances falling by the wayside in the top half of the first. Game remains scoreless heading to the bottom half of the inning.

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