Astros Walk It Off Against the BoSox Thanks to Yainer Diaz Ninth Inning Blast

Astros win 5-4 despite four costly errors

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. And it seems like the Astros have been exceedingly lucky during this string of 11 wins in 12 games.

After wasting yet another superb starting pitching performance by new-Astro Yusei Kikuchi by committing four costly errors, and even getting called out at the plate in a crucial situation for calling timeout too often, it seemed the Astros were determined to lose this game one way or another.

But they did battle back repeatedly despite themselves, and in the bottom of the ninth, score tied, after Yordan Alvarez had just struck out on three pitches, Yainer Diaz took Kenley Jensen’s (remember him) fourth pitch onto the train tracks. It was the only time the Astros led the entire game after coming from behind to tie twice earlier.

It wasn’t Game Five of the 2017 World Series, but it still felt pretty good.

The Red Sox got out in front against Kikuchi early. On the first pitch, Jarren Durran hit a Crawford Box special to give the Sox an early lead. They added another run in the first after two singles and an error by third baseman Shay Whitcomb, replacing injured Alex Bregman.

Kikuchi went 5.2 innings despite his team committing four errors behind him, allowing only one earned run with seven Ks. The Red Sox have owned Kikuchi historically, but not tonight donning an Astros uniform.

The Sox would score two more runs with the help of an Astros error in the sixth inning. With the score tied 2-2 with no outs, Jose Altuve threw high to first on a routine ground ball, and catcher-playing-first-base Yainer Diaz, couldn’t come down with the ball with his foot on the bag.

No matter, Kikuchi struck out the next two batters and seemed to have everything under control. But after 99 pitches, manager Joe Espada brought in righty reliever Tayler Scott for Kikuchi to get out three, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in red hot, left-handed pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida to face Scott.

Yoshida blooped a fly just into the Crawford Boxes, a hit long enough to be a home run only in MMP out of 30 major league stadiums. Fan interference may have played a part in the decision to rule the hit a homer.

Yoshida gave the Sox the lead because the Astros tied the game thanks to a little error-ball by the Sox in the fourth. What a weird inning.

It started with a Yordan Alvarez double off Sox starter Tanner Houck, followed by a Yainer Diaz single putting Alvarez on third. Jeremy Pena hit a swinging bunt and Alvarez appeared to slide into home before the tag. Called safe initially, to the complete surprise of everyone, even the Red Sox TV announcers, the call was overturned.

But the Astros weren’t done. Victor Caratini singled home Diaz, and Pena scored on a throwing error by Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen.

After the Red Sox went up 4-2 in the sixth thanks to Astros blooper-ball, the Stros managed to get one back in their half of the sixth on a sac fly by pinch hitter Jon Singleton.

The Astros even made hitting errors. With a runner on first and second and one out, red hot Yainer Diaz was called out for calling time out twice with two strikes, effectively killing the rally in the seventh inning.

But the Astros didn’t quit, and in the eighth inning the Achilles heal, bottom-of-the-Astros-order managed to tie the game at four on a single by slumping pinch hitter Chas McCormick and a Mauricio Dubon RBI single. However, the inning ended with an Altuve strikeout with two men on base.

Josh Hader held the Sox in the ninth. In a non-save situation he finally got a W instead of an L.

And then, THIS:

Besides Diaz, who singled to go with his walk-off homer, kudos to Alvarez and Caratini with three hits each, and back of lineup heroics from Jon Singleton and Mauricio Dubon, each with crucial RBI, and Chas McCormick, who singled and scored a run after stealing second.

Same time, same bat station tomorrow at MMP.

Box Score HERE.