Houston Astros celebrate win
Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) celebrates the final out against the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning during Game 4 of a baseball American League Division Series Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Chicago. The Astros won 10-1. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Houston Advances As White Sox’s Season Ends

On Tuesday, the Houston Astros advance to the ALCS after a blowout win against the Chicago White Sox in ALDS Game 4. The Astros clinched a spot in the ALCS with a 10-1 victory. They will be playing the Boston Red Sox, a rematch of the 2018 ALCS.

Game Recap

Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. had a sluggish start, only pitching four innings. However, his only fault was a solo shot by designated hitter Gavin Sheets.

Sheets led the White Sox to an early lead in the bottom of the second inning, lashing a home run into center-field. However, the Astros took the lead for good in the third thanks to a Correa’s double into left field to score Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.

Martin Maldonado extended the lead at the top of the fourth to send Kyle Tucker home for a 3-1 lead. Soon afterward, Bregman piled on a two-run double to leave the Astros up, 5-1.

Additionally, in the sixth and eighth innings, Left fielder Michael Brantley hit a pair of RBI singles, stretching Houston’s lead to 7-1. Then, Altuve smashed a late three-run homer to end Chicago’s hopes of a comeback.

The White Sox led the league in stolen bases given up, a drawback that persisted into the postseason. Three uncontested stolen bases by the Astros contributed to Chicago’s demise in Game 4 of their ALDS matchup. Head coach Tony La Russa said it was being addressed before the postseason, but it never got fixed.

Tuesday’s win keeps the Astros firmly on course for a third World Series appearance since their scandal-tainted victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic in 2017.

Houston v. Boston

The Astros will go against Alex Cora’s Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Cora was formerly the bench coach in Houston and a key figure in the sign-stealing scandal that tarnished Houston’s 2017 title. Though, he was later suspended for the 2020 season but was re-hired in Boston for 2021.

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