Boston leads the series 2-1
Astros slammed again by Red Sox as Boston takes series lead with ALCS Game 3 win
Oct 18, 2021, 10:28 pm
Jose Urquidy's rough outing was ill-timed for the Astros in ALCS Game 3. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Jose Urquidy's rough outing was ill-timed for the Astros in ALCS Game 3.
"It's just a rough couple of games, it's nothing to worry about" is a common outlook on two bad games in the regular season. Throughout a 162-game stretch, it's a sentiment that teams can use without too much worry on occasion. In a best-of-seven, however, two bad games can be the last straw that ends your season.
For the Astros, after a rough Game 2 that was doomed after the first two innings, they would watch as Boston duplicated their early-game success to jump out to an insurmountable lead in Game 4 to take a 2-1 series lead in Boston.
Final Score: Red Sox 12, Astros 3
ALCS Series (Best of Seven): Boston leads 2-1
Winning Pitcher: Eduardo Rodriguez
Losing Pitcher: Jose Urquidy
Boston continues to slam Houston's starters in Game 3
If the demoralizing start to ALCS Game 2 for Houston wasn't bad enough, where they allowed two grand slams in the first two innings to the Red Sox, things started just as terrible for the Astros in Game 3 in Boston. Hoping to get some length from their starter for a change in this series, Jose Urquidy looked good in the bottom of the first, getting a 1-2-3 frame on just eleven pitches to start his night.
Things went downhill fast in the bottom of the second, though, as Urquidy would load the bases on two walks and a double as his command started failing. An RBI single started the scoring, followed by a groundball mishandled by Jose Altuve which, doubled the new deficit to 2-0. That brought Kyle Schwarber to the plate, and he blew the game open with a grand slam, Boston's third in the last two games, to make it a daunting 6-0 score.
BOSTON SLAM PARTY! pic.twitter.com/dIp9svKzGp
— MLB (@MLB) October 19, 2021
Urquidy would get another out but allowed two more singles as he would make an early exit like the other two starters so far in this series. Yimi Garcia came in to wrap up the second, then got banged around in the bottom of the third, allowing a one-out walk, RBI single, and two-run home, extending Boston's advantage to 9-0 and continuing to diminish Houston's optimism for this game and potentially the series.
Astros try to build some momentum
The Astros had no choice but to try and start building momentum, whether in an attempt at an improbable comeback in Game 3 or to give them something with which to start Game 4 on a positive note. After two singles in the top of the fourth, Kyle Tucker would get Houston's first highlight of the night and first runs, getting a three-run homer to cut the lead back to six runs at 9-3.
.@KTuck30 keeps raking this #postseason 💪 pic.twitter.com/PDMSY6lED3
— MLB (@MLB) October 19, 2021
Red Sox take Game 3 and series lead
Blake Taylor was the next reliever out of the Astros' bullpen, and he was able to work around a single and walk for a scoreless fourth. Brooks Raley had the fifth, and he sat down the three batters he faced in order, sending the game to the sixth. He stayed in the game for the bottom of the sixth, but after a walk and two outs would be lifted for Phil Maton, who would give up the tenth and eleventh runs on a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez, pushing the lead back to eight runs at 11-3.
Maton finished the sixth, then continued in the seventh, and had a 1-2-3 inning that frame. In the bottom of the eighth, Ryne Stanek was Houston's next reliever, but too would not be immune to the long ball, as Rafael Devers would pour salt in the wound with a solo homer to make it 12-3. The Red Sox put an end to things in the top of the ninth, taking a significant 2-1 advantage in the series, leaving the Astros in dire need of a win in Tuesday's Game 4.
Up Next: Game 4 of this ALCS will get started at the same time as Game 3 did, with first pitch scheduled for 7:08 PM Central from Boston. While the starting pitching matchup is still TBD, the common belief is that Nick Pivetta will get the nod for Boston, while the Astros figure to put Zack Greinke back into a starting role with their recent blows to starter depth.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
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We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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