Bullpen Meltdown Sinks Astros in Boston, 6-3

It was a hard-fought back-and-forth game in historic Fenway Park tonight until the Astros bullpen had a rare meltdown that converted a 3-2 lead in the seventh into a final score of 6-3 in favor of the Red Sox.

Jake Odorizzi continued his remarkable turnaround, pitching five innings while allowing only one earned run. However, he only pitched five innings due to a leg injury that appeared serious as Odorizzi was unable to stand afterward. Unfortunately, Odo’s relief could not sustain the excellence that had kept the team in the game up to that point.

The Red Sox cracked the scoreboard first in the fourth inning starting with a leadoff single by Enrique Hernandez and a one-out single by J.D. Martinez. A Xander Bogaerts walk loaded the bases for Alex Verdugo who hit a fly to center that popped out of the glove of Chas McCormick. However, Mauricio Dubon picked up the ball and threw out Martinez at third. Odorizzi got Trevor Story to pop out to end the threat.

The Astros tied the score in the fifth with a Chas McCormick home run. In the eighth inning, McCormick hit a ball high off the wall in center but he was stranded at second.

The Red Sox took the lead again in the bottom of the fifth starting with a lead-off double by Franchy Cordero, who advanced to third on a one-out Jackie Bradley ground out. Cordero scored on a passed ball by catcher Jason Castro.

In what was the most consequential play of the game, Hernandez then grounded out to first, but in an attempt to cover first base Odorizzi collapsed with an undisclosed leg injury and had to be taken off the field in the motorized cart.

After a rain delay, the Astros tied the score in the sixth when Yuli Gurriel hit a no-out sac fly with the bases loaded. However, the Astros stranded the runner at third.

The Astros took a brief lead in the seventh when Jason Castro led off with a double that hit the left-field foul line. Castro scored on a Jose Altuve single.

But the Sox tied the score in the bottom of the seventh on a Trevor Story home run on Phil Maton, who was in his second inning of relief. The Red Sox broke the game open in the eighth inning against Hector Neris with three runs starting with a Hernandez double, a Martinez double scoring Hernandez, and a Xander Bogaerts home run.

Before tonight Neris had allowed only one run in 16 innings pitched.

The Stros and Sox face off again tomorrow at 6:10 CT. Jose Urquidy faces Nathan Eovaldi.

Box Score and Videos Here.