Houston pounds Boston
Astros ride early lead to win over Red Sox in series opener
Jun 8, 2021, 9:43 pm
Yordan Alvarez had a monster homer in Tuesday's opener. Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Yordan Alvarez had a monster homer in Tuesday's opener.
With a day off on Monday to catch some rest, and winners of six of their last eight games, including three against this same Red Sox team, the Astros entered Fenway Park Tuesday night with some confidence on their side. It showed as they would pound Boston to get an early lead which they rode to the win in this three-game series opener.
Final Score: Astros 7, Red Sox 1
Astros' Record: 34-26, second in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Framber Valdez (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: Martin Perez (4-3)
Houston blows it open early
Houston did not go easy on Martin Perez, whose last start resulted in 7.2 shutout innings against the Astros last week. Carlos Correa started the scoring with a one-out solo homer in the top of the first, then played a part in a five-run second. They began the inning with three straight hits, including a two-RBI single by Martin Maldonado.
Correa doubled in another, then with the bases loaded, Yordan Alvarez would get hit by a pitch before an RBI single by Yuli Gurriel made it 6-0. In the top of the fourth, Alvarez extended the lead another run with a monster solo homer 451 feet over the center-field wall.
Yordan moonshots > pic.twitter.com/VIa7jrKVjk
— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2021
Valdez does it again
Framber Valdez worked well with the lead, repeating his success against Boston in his seven-inning ten strikeout start against them on June 2nd. He allowed just one baserunner through the first three frames, a leadoff single in the bottom of the third, which he would erase. He faced trouble in the bottom of the fourth, putting two runners on via a hit batter and single, setting up a one-out RBI-groundout to get Boston on the board at 7-1.
He bounced back from that, stranding two more runners in the fifth, another in the sixth, then posting a 1-2-3 seventh. He faced two more batters, hitting one and getting another out to start the eighth. His final line: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 96 P.
Astros take the opener
Enoli Paredes came in from the bullpen to finish the eighth, erasing the inherited runner along with one of his own to keep it a six-run game going to the ninth. Blake Taylor came on to wrap things up, erasing a two-out double to finish off the win for Houston, the seventh in their last nine games.
Up Next: Another 6:10 PM Central start awaits these two teams for the middle game Wednesday night. Jake Odorizzi (0-3, 7.16 ERA) will try to get his first win of the year and lock up the series for the Astros, while Nathan Eovaldi (7-2, 3.78 ERA) will look to even things up for Boston.
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Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield made nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 103-89 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 7 Sunday night.
The Warriors will face the Timberwolves Tuesday night in Minnesota.
Hield had a scorching first half with six 3-pointers and 22 points to carry the Warriors to a 12-point lead, with Curry scoring just three points before the break. Then Curry took over in the closing minutes and performed his signature “night night” gesture as the Warriors put the Rockets away.
The Warriors became the seventh No. 7 seed in NBA history to advance to the semifinals and eliminated Houston in the playoffs for a fifth time. They sent the James Harden-led Rockets squads packing four times between 2015 and 2019.
Hield was 9 of 11 from 3-point range, setting an NBA record for a Game 7 and making more 3s than the Rockets, who were 6 of 18 from long range. Curry added 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Amen Thompson scored 24 points to lead Houston, which forced Game 7 with two straight wins but couldn't put away the experienced Warriors.
Golden State led by eight entering the fourth and opened the quarter with a 5-0 run, capped by a 3 from Curry, to make it 75-62.
Houston scored the next six points, but the Warriors used a 7-2 spurt with four points from Curry to make it 82-70 with about seven minutes left.
Curry made a contested 3, rebounded a missed jumper by Thompson and found Hield for an open corner 3 that made it 94-74 with 2:31 remaining.
That sent many of the red-clad Rockets fans streaming for the exits.
Jimmy Butler added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Warriors, who improved to 28-11 since his debut on Feb. 8 after a trade from Miami.
Fred VanVleet scored a combined 55 points in the last two games to help Houston extend the series. But he was limited to 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting Sunday to send the second-seeded Rockets home early in their first trip to the playoffs since 2020.
He was far from the only Rocket who struggled. Big man Alperen Sengun had 21 points and 14 rebounds. But he missed several easy shots on a 9-of-23 night.
Jalen Green, who had 38 points to lead Houston to a Game 2 win, finished with eight points.
Houston trailed by 15 before using a big run to get within three points in the third, but Golden State ended the quarter with a 7-2 run to take a 70-62 lead into the fourth.
The Warriors played without key reserve Gary Payton II, who sat out with an illness that coach Steve Kerr said had him “sick as a dog.”
Draymond Green added 16 points for the Warriors, who had four starters score in double figures.