Beasts of the East

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 Written by: Matt Ferreira

Image via twitter.com/redsox



 WIth the walk off sacrifice fly by Kiké Hernandez, the Red Sox have cancelled their flight to Tampa and advanced to the American League Championship Series. 



 The Red Sox won the series three games to one against the Tampa Bay Rays, the number one seed in the American League. The series did not come without any drama though. In game one the Red Sox did not look too strong, getting shut out and losing five to nothing, the series looked like the Rays would bully the Red Sox as expected.


 Game two was looking the same way, Chris Sale let up a grand slam in the first inning to Jordan Luplow. The Red Sox ended up clawing back to tie the game at five, until J.D. Martinez hit a three run home run to make it eight to five in his first postseason game this year. Boston’s bats exploded in the late innings to win the game fourteen to six and bring a split back to Fenway.


 Game three was filled with excitement, Austin Meadows hit a home run in the first inning to put the Rays up two to nothing early, but Kyle Schwarber had different plans for the Rays sending a leadoff home run over the Green Monster to cut back into the deficit. In the bottom of the third, Kiké set a playoff record with six straight at bats with a hit, which also scored a run to tie the Rays at two apiece. The very next at bat Devers singled, scoring Schwarber before the inning ended. After missing an underhand flip terribly to Nathan Eovaldi in the first inning, Schwarber celebrated after getting an out in fourth via an underhand flip.



 In the bottom of the fifth Kiké kept his hitting streak alive by hitting a 424 foot bomb over the Green Monster. Wander Franco hit a home run in the eighth to bring the Rays back within one which would prove important when Arozarena tied it later in the inning. After what seemed like another full game as Pivetta came on the mound and pitched four shutout innings through the thirteenth, Christian Vazquez hit a walk off home run over the monster to send Fenway into a frenzy.



After coming off the high that is a walkoff home run, the Red Sox came back again and ready to clinch. Starting off with a five run third inning the Red Sox looked to take control early. Throughout the game the Rays chipped away, eventually tying the game at five in the top of the eighth. After some amazing defense and quick innings the Red Sox came up in the bottom of the ninth looking to end the game. Vazquez, the hero of the night before, led the inning off with a single. Christian Arroyo bunted him over to second to put him in scoring position for pinch hitter Travis Shaw. Shaw grounded to Franco who threw it to Choi at first and could not handle it allowing Vazquez to advance to third. Kiké did not want to play the Rays anymore as he hit a long sac fly to left field to secure the victory as Danny Santana (who pinch ran for Vazquez) crossed the plate for the victory.



 The Red Sox beating the Rays shows how gritty this team is. To beat the best team in the American League and third best team in major league baseball this year, the Red Sox have defied the odds and made it to the American League championship. The Red Sox will play the winner of the White Sox vs. Astros series where Houston currently holds the lead at two games to one. Game one of the ALCS is Friday on Fox.


 


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