Hanigan singled to right, De Aza to third. Catcher Jason Castro sent a drive off the wall in left, and Singleton scored from first when left fielder Ramirez fumbled the ball and then threw to the wrong base.
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Astros fourth. Valbuena singled to center.
One couldn’t blame Farrell for looking down past the right-field fence and pining for what he didn’t have. Second baseman Brock Holt’s hurried throw home was off the mark.
Chris Carter lined out, but then it was a hit parade for the ‘Stros. Jose Altuve and Preston Tucker each drove in a pair with every player scoring and or driving in a run.
The Red Sox managed to give up four walks in their last game. Red Sox 2, Astros 0.
Red Sox fifth. Betts struck out. Altuve was credited with a throwing error on the play that allowed Ramirez to advance to second with two outs in the frame.
Straily came out of the game and Pablo Sandoval singled home Ramirez off lefty Tony Sipp and tied the ballgame at 5 apiece.
Mariners 9, A’s 5 Logan Morrison, Seth Smith, Nelson Cruz and Brad Miller each hit two-run homers, powering the Seattle Mariners to victory against the Oakland Athletics.
But in the seventh, Evan Gattis went the other way for a leadoff double.
Houston’s phenom 20-year old shortstop Carlos Correa (who has my birthday) took Craig Breslow deep into the Monster on the first pitch of the 8th because apparently he wasn’t satisfied with a tie game. Valbuena singled to center, Altuve scored.
Another strong performance from Collin McHugh (9-3, 4.51 ERA) could help the Astros win six in a row for the first time since a season-best 10-game run April 24-May 3.
“This would suggest that Hamels wouldn’t be in the Red Sox” cross-hairs, with the lefty under team control for the next four seasons but turning 32 years old later this year.
Red Sox seventh. J.
Bogaerts singled to set up Big Papi with two on and one out. Their rotation ranks 14th in fWAR (5.2), while their bullpen is a far worse 25th (0.2). Astros 7, Red Sox 7.
Betts reached on a Correa error to start the eighth off sidewinder Pat Neshek. Correa grounded out, shortstop Bogaerts to first baseman Napoli.
In this three previous starts, Tanaka went seven innings against the Mariners, Nationals and Marlins and pitched to a 1.71 ERA. Astros 8, Red Sox 7. That doesn’t seem realistic for the Red Sox. Bogaerts walked on a full count.
Somehow, though, the Sox survived even that, with David Ortiz doubling home Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the eighth.
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 left on.
One more dumb play made the final 12-8 when Hanigan tried to throw a runner out at 2nd when the Astros had someone at third. Buchholz (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have a 30-18 record against right-handed starting pitchers. This is Altuve’s sixth hitting streak of 10 games or more since 2013.
Correa and Altuve are both batting.
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Correa singled for a 9-8 lead, Jon Singleton added a two-run single and Domingo Santana stole home on the back end of a double steal. Action begins at 1:35 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jul. 4 and can be seen on ROOT-SW and NESN. Between the second and sixth innings he retired 12 straight Astros hitters.
