Red Sox beat Astros 12-8, avoid sweep as Martinez homers

BOSTON (AP) — J.D. Martinez hit his 13th homer, Christian Arroyo had a three-run drive and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of a pair of dropped balls in a five-run sixth inning to beat the Houston Astros 12-8 Thursday night, avoiding a three-game sweep.

Right fielder Kyle Tucker dropped Martinez's sacrifice fly that tied the score at 8 for an error as the batter reached, and shortstop Carlos Correa let Rafael Devers' bases-loaded pop to short center to glance off his glove but got the out because an infield fly was called.

“It was a tremendous change of emotions about eight times. We‘re cheering one moment and kind of lamenting the next moment,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “That was a weird ballgame. The whole game was very strange and it’s hard to explain. ”

Yuli Gurriel and José Altuve homered for the Astros, Altuve providing an 8-7 advantage leading off the sixth on a pitch from Darwinzon Hernandez that was 0.85 feet above the ground. According to MLB Statcast, it was the lowest pitch hit for a home run in the major leagues since the start of 2018.

“To manage these games is not fun, but I understand how people like it,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the odd plays

Baker did not make it to the end of the 3-hour, 47-minute game. He was ejected in the seventh for arguing after the Red Sox turned a double play on a ball that Yuli Gurriel hit into the dirt and maintained was a foul ball.

Darwinzon Hernandez (1-2) won after allowing Altuve’s homer.

Kiké Hernández doubled off Blake Taylor (0-1) leading off the bottom half and scored on Martinez's fly to deep right, where Tucker said the wind played with the ball as it descended.

“As it started coming down, it started fading back toward the infield and knuckling as it came down. I just clanked it off my glove,”...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Red-Sox-beat-Astros-12-8-avoid-sweep-as-Martinez-16240424.php