PROBLEM IN HOUSTON: Sox swept by Astros; Fenway opener Friday
Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet was touched up for five runs on Wednesday by the Astros in Houston. The Red Sox have their Fenway opener Friday vs. the Padres. (AP photo)
HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa put Houston on top with a three-run homer and Christian Vázquez added a solo shot to lead the Astros to a 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.
It’s the fifth consecutive win for the Astros and gives Boston five straight losses since an opening day victory.
Pinch-hitter Roman Anthony homered off Bryan Abreu to start the ninth and get the Red Sox within two. But Abreu struck out the next three batters to get his first save.
Houston starter Mike Burrows (1-1) allowed five hits and two runs in five innings for the win after giving up nine hits and five runs in his Astros debut Friday after an offseason trade from Pittsburgh.
The game was tied with one out in the fifth when Jose Altuve singled before Garrett Crochet (1-1) hit Yordan Alvarez in the ribs with a pitch. There were two outs with a 1-2 count when Correa smacked an off-speed pitch into the seats in left field to make it 5-2.
Crochet allowed six hits and five runs — four earned — in five innings after throwing six scoreless innings in the opening day win over the Reds.
Vázquez connected off Danny Coulombe to open Houston’s seventh and push the lead to 6-2.
Wilyer Abreu hit his third home run this season on a solo shot that cut the lead to 6-3 with one out in the eighth.
Willson Contreras’ RBI single with one out in the first gave Boston an early lead.
Alvarez hit a one-out double in the bottom of the inning before a double by Isaac Paredes tied it. Correa reached on a fielding error by Trevor Story before an RBI single by Christian Walker put Houston up 2-1.
The Red Sox tied it when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored on Jarren Duran’s groundout in the second.
Narváez benched
The Red Sox played without catcher Carlos Narváez after he was scratched from the lineup Wednesday. Manager Alex Cora didn’t say why he was taken out of the lineup.
“I just made a change,” manager Alex Cora told reporters. “I talked to Carlos a little bit and we move on from there. So, it’s one of those that I felt like we needed to make the change in the lineup. And I think it’s for the best.”
When pressed if Narváez’s removal from the lineup was for a disciplinary reason, Cora didn’t directly answer the question.
“Let’s keep it between me and Carlos,” Cora said. “And he understands. This is something that happens on every club. It just happens to be early in the season, and I think it’s the right thing to do.”
The 27-year-old Narváez is hitting .444 in three games this season. He is in his second season in Boston after beginning his career with the Yankees.
Up next
Both teams are off Thursday before the Red Sox open a series against San Diego on Friday night and the Astros begin a series with the Athletics in Sacramento.
