The 2021 American League Division Series were the two best-of-five-games series in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
(MLB) that determined the participating teams of the
2021 American League Championship Series
The 2021 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven series in Major League Baseball (MLB) between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros. The series determined the American League pennant winner, the Astros, who advanced to the ...
. The three divisional winners, seeded first through third, and a fourth team—determined by the
AL Wild Card Game—played in two series. These matchups were:
* (1)
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
(
AL East
The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
champions) vs. (4)
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
(Wild Card Game winner): the Red Sox won the series 3–1.
* (2)
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
(
AL West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams cur ...
champions) vs. (3)
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
(
AL Central
The American League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed in the realignment of 1994 by moving three teams from the American League West and two teams from the American League East. Its teams are all loc ...
champions): the Astros won the series 3–1.
The higher seeded team of each series hosted Games 1, 2, and (if necessary) 5, while the lower seeded team hosted Game 3 and (if necessary) 4. Following the series, the Red Sox and Astros met in the
2021 American League Championship Series
The 2021 American League Championship Series was the best-of-seven series in Major League Baseball (MLB) between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros. The series determined the American League pennant winner, the Astros, who advanced to the ...
, with the Astros winning the series, 4 games to 2. The Astros would go on to lose the
2021 World Series
The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion H ...
to the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
champion
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...
, 4 games to 2.
Background
Seeds one through three were determined by regular season
winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
s among division-winning teams (with any ties broken by head-to-head records). The final team was the winner of the American League Wild Card Game, played between the league's fourth and fifth seeded teams.
The
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
clinched the
American League East
The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
on September 26, and secured the top-seed in the AL postseason with a 100–62 record. It was Tampa's first
100-win season in franchise history. The
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
defeated the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
in the Wild Card Game, 6–2, to advance to the ALDS. This was the third postseason matchup between the Red Sox and Rays. The previous meetings were the
2008 American League Championship Series
The 2008 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 2008 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven series matching the two winners of the American League Division Series. The AL East Division champion Tampa Bay Ray ...
(won by the Rays 4–3) and the
2013 American League Division Series (won by the Red Sox 3–1). The Rays won the season series with the Red Sox, 11–8.
The
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
clinched the
American League West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams curr ...
on September 30, and secured the second-seed in the AL postseason with a 95–67 record. The
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
clinched the
American League Central
The American League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed in the realignment of 1994 by moving three teams from the American League West and two teams from the American League East. Its teams are all lo ...
on September 23, and secured the third-seed in the AL postseason with a 93–69 record. Houston won the season series over Chicago, five games to two. This was the first ever League Division Series that featured a World Series re-match; the White Sox swept the Astros in the
2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2005 season. The 101st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Chicago White Sox and the National ...
, when Houston was a member of the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
. This also makes it the first time ever this has occurred in the American League, and only the second time ever, the first being in the
2011 National League Championship Series
The 2011 National League Championship Series (abbreviated NLCS) was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, against each other for the National Leag ...
, when the 1982 World Series opponents, the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals, played each other, after the Cardinals beat the Brewers in the latter series, 29 years earlier.
The Rays made their third straight postseason appearance, the Astros made their fifth straight appearance (and sixth in seven seasons), and this was the White Sox' second straight appearance. The Red Sox had last reached the postseason three season prior, when they won the
2018 World Series
The 2018 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 2018 season. The 114th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National L ...
.
Matchups
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox
Tampa Bay vs. Boston
The Rays won the season series with the Red Sox, 11–8.
[ This was the third postseason meeting between the franchises. Their previous postseason meetings were in the ]2008 ALCS
The 2008 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 2008 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven series matching the two winners of the American League Division Series. The AL East Division champion Tampa Bay Rays, ...
, won by the Rays in seven games, and in the 2013 ALDS, won by the Red Sox in four games.
Game 1
Tampa Bay won the opening game of the series, 5–0. Boston starting pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in innings. Tampa Bay's other three runs were charged to Nick Pivetta
Nicholas Johncarlo Pivetta (born February 14, 1993) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Washington Nationals selected Pivetta in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft. He was tra ...
, who pitched innings of relief. Randy Arozarena
Randy Arozarena González (born February 28, 1995) is a Cuban- Mexican professional baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2020, Arozarena set the MLB ...
of the Rays walked against Pivetta in the seventh inning, advanced to third base on a double by Wander Franco
Wander Samuel Franco Aybar Sr. (born March 1, 2001), nicknamed "El Patron", is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021.
Professional career Minor league ...
, and then stole home against Josh Taylor Josh or Joshua Taylor may refer to:
* Josh Taylor (actor) (born 1943), American comedy and dramatic television actor
* Josh Taylor (baseball) (born 1993), American professional baseball pitcher
* Josh Taylor (boxer) (born 1991), Scottish professio ...
, who had relieved Pivetta. With the steal, Arozarena became the first player in baseball history to hit a home run and steal home base at the same game during a playoff game. Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan earned the win, pitching five innings while allowing five hits, no walks, and striking out three batters. Arozarena and Nelson Cruz
Nelson Ramón Cruz Martínez Jr. (born July 1, 1980) is a Dominican-American professional baseball designated hitter and right fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas ...
both homered for Tampa Bay; Cruz's home run was given after it ricocheted off one of the catwalks along the stadium roof. The Red Sox outhit the Rays, 9–6, but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Game 2
Boston evened the series at 1–1 with a 14–6 win in Game 2. After the Red Sox scored twice in the top of the first inning, the Rays scored five runs off of Chris Sale
Christopher Allen Sale (born March 30, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago White Sox, with whom he made his major league debut ...
in the bottom of the inning, including a grand slam by Jordan Luplow. The Boston bullpen, led by five innings from Tanner Houck
Tanner Lee Houck (born June 29, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Red Sox with the 24th overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft. Listed at and , he throws a ...
, allowed just one more run by Tampa Bay—a home run by Ji-man Choi
Ji-man Choi (Hangul: 최지만; Hanja: 崔志萬; ; born May 19, 1991) is a South Korean professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Choi is capable of playing at the designated hitter, first basem ...
—for the rest of the game. Meanwhile, the Red Sox scored 12 more runs and had five batters with three or more hits. Kiké Hernández had five hits including a home run and three doubles. Xander Bogaerts
Xander Jan Bogaerts (born October 1, 1992; ), nicknamed "the X-Man" and "Bogey" or "Bogie", is an Aruban professional baseball shortstop for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Re ...
, Alex Verdugo
Alexander Brady Verdugo (born May 15, 1996) is an Mexican-American professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Verdugo in the second round of the 2014 MLB draft. He mad ...
, J. D. Martinez, and Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers Calcaño ( ; born October 24, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2017, and was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022.
Career
The Red Sox ...
also homered. Houck got the win in relief for Boston, while Tampa Bay reliever Collin McHugh
Collin Alexander McHugh (born June 19, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays. List ...
, who allowed three runs on two hits and a walk in innings, took the loss.
Game 3
Boston took a 2–1 lead in the best-of-five series with a 6–4 win in a 13-inning contest, only the second postseason extra-inning game the Rays had ever played, and the second-longest AL postseason game ever (ALDS/ALCS). The Rays scored twice in the top of the first inning, via a two-run homer by Austin Meadows
Austin Wade Meadows (born May 3, 1995) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays.
Early life and amateur c ...
. The Red Sox got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a Kyle Schwarber
Kyle Joseph Schwarber (born March 5, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers and was a first-round selection in the 20 ...
solo homer. Boston went ahead, 3–2, on four consecutive singles that scored two runs in the bottom of the third, and extended the lead to 4–2 via a fifth-inning solo home run by Kiké Hernández. In the top of the eighth, Wander Franco
Wander Samuel Franco Aybar Sr. (born March 1, 2001), nicknamed "El Patron", is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021.
Professional career Minor league ...
homered and Randy Arozarena
Randy Arozarena González (born February 28, 1995) is a Cuban- Mexican professional baseball outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 2020, Arozarena set the MLB ...
hit an RBI double, both off of Hansel Robles, as the Rays tied the game, 4–4. After a scoreless ninth inning, the game went to extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.
Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulation innings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; in Little Lea ...
. Nick Pivetta
Nicholas Johncarlo Pivetta (born February 14, 1993) is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Washington Nationals selected Pivetta in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB draft. He was tra ...
, expected to be Boston's starting pitcher in Game 4, came on in relief and held the Rays scoreless in the top of the tenth, while the Rays' David Robertson held Boston scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Both Pivetta and Robertson stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless 11th inning. Pivetta again held the Rays scoreless in the top of the 12th, while Luis Patiño held the Red Sox scoreless in the bottom of the inning. The final 13th inning proved to be a wild one. Pivetta pitched a fourth scoreless inning, which included a ground rule double
A ground rule double is a baseball rule that awards two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batter-runner, as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the groun ...
by Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin James Kiermaier (; born April 22, 1990) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013 to 2022.
Kiermaier was part of ama ...
—the batted ball bounced off of the right field wall, the ground, and then off of Hunter Renfroe
Dustin Hunter Renfroe (born January 28, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, an ...
's hip into the bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
—which otherwise would have resulted in a Rays run, as Yandy Díaz
Yandy Díaz Fernández (born August 8, 1991) is a Cuban-born professional baseball third baseman and first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Cleveland Indians.
Cuban career
Diaz played ...
was running from first base when the ball was hit. Christian Vázquez
Christian Rafael Vázquez (born August 21, 1990) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.
Selected by the ...
ended the game with a two-run walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will no ...
off of Patiño in the bottom of the 13th.
Game 4
The Red Sox won Game 4, 6–5, to advance to the ALCS
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
. Eduardo Rodríguez, who had lost Game 1 but only threw 41 pitches, started for Boston, while Collin McHugh
Collin Alexander McHugh (born June 19, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays. List ...
, who had lost Game 2 in relief, started for Tampa Bay. After two scoreless innings, Boston scored five runs in the bottom of the third off Shane McClanahan, including a three-run homer by Rafael Devers
Rafael Devers Calcaño ( ; born October 24, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2017, and was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022.
Career
The Red Sox ...
. After all five runs were scored from Boston, Shane was then taken out after 2 innings in frustration, throwing his glove and smashing a chair inside the Rays' bullpen. The Rays got one run back in the top of the fifth. In the top of the sixth, a two-run homer by Wander Franco
Wander Samuel Franco Aybar Sr. (born March 1, 2001), nicknamed "El Patron", is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021.
Professional career Minor league ...
cut Boston's lead to 5–3. The Rays opened the eighth with three consecutive hits off of Ryan Brasier to tie the game, 5–5; Garrett Whitlock
Garrett Getts Whitlock (born June 11, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at and , he throws and bats right-handed.
Amateur career
Whitlock attended Providence Chris ...
relieved Brasier and ended the rally. An outfield assist by Kevin Kiermaier
Kevin James Kiermaier (; born April 22, 1990) is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2013 to 2022.
Kiermaier was part of ama ...
cut down Alex Verdugo
Alexander Brady Verdugo (born May 15, 1996) is an Mexican-American professional baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Verdugo in the second round of the 2014 MLB draft. He mad ...
at third base to end a Red Sox threat in the bottom of the eighth. Whitlock then retired the Rays in order on seven pitches in the top of the ninth. Christian Vázquez
Christian Rafael Vázquez (born August 21, 1990) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros.
Selected by the ...
led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against J. P. Feyereisen
Jonathon Paul Feyereisen (born February 7, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020 and has also played for the Tampa B ...
, he then reached second on Christian Arroyo's sacrifice bunt and a pinch-hit infield single by Travis Shaw moved him to third base. After the Red Sox put runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, a sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d):
"Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
by Kiké Hernández pushed across the series-winning run.
Houston vs. Chicago
The Astros won the season series with the White Sox, 5–2. This was the second postseason meeting between the franchises. Their previous postseason meeting was in the 2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2005 season. The 101st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Chicago White Sox and the National ...
, when the Astros were members of the National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
, won by the White Sox in four games.
This was the second time for a prior World Series matchup to occur in either a Wild Card Game, Division Series or League Championship Series. The first such instance was in the 2011 National League Championship Series
The 2011 National League Championship Series (abbreviated NLCS) was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the winners of the 2011 National League Division Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, against each other for the National Leag ...
, during which the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
defeated the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
, 4–2, in a rematch of the 1982 World Series
The 1982 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1982 season. The 79th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals and the ...
. This was the first time the White Sox appeared in the postseason in consecutive seasons, while this was the fifth straight postseason appearance for the Astros.
As of the 2021 postseason, Tony La Russa
Anthony La Russa Jr. (; born October 4, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. His MLB career has spanned from 1963 to 2022, in several roles. He is the former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland At ...
(aged 77) and Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker Jr. (born June 15, 1949) is an American baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the MLB for 19 seasons, most notably with the Lo ...
(aged 72) were the oldest managers in MLB. Including their 2021 postseason appearances, La Russa and Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball executive, serving as a special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball since 2020. He previously served in the capacity of Major League Baseball's (MLB) chief baseb ...
were tied for the second-most playoff appearances as managers, with 15, while Baker was next on the list with 11. The only prior time Baker's and La Russa's teams faced each other in the postseason was in the 2002 National League Championship Series, when Baker's Giants defeated La Russa's Cardinals in five games.
Despite their lone postseason match-up, Baker and La Russa share a long history, having known each other for 50 years. As La Russa was winding down his playing career, he spent a season in Atlanta where a young Baker was just starting his playing career with the 1971 Braves. The two men also spent a season together on the 1986 Athletics, when Baker was ending his playing career and La Russa was on his second managerial job. As managers, Baker and La Russa both competed in the NL Central from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011. In 2014, when each manager was out of the game for a time, they made peace with each other upon conversations spent with Dave Stewart, who worked for both managers as a player, manager, and general manager.
Game 1
Amidst a plethora of fastballs from Lance Lynn (who threw the highest rate of them since pitches have been tracked in 2008) against a team that batted the best against the pitch, the Astros rocked five runs off Lynn before he left in the fourth inning, starting on an RBI single from rookie Jake Meyers
Jacob Berkshire Meyers (born June 18, 1996) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Meyers played college baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was selected in the 13th round by th ...
. Alex Bregman
Alexander David Bregman (born March 30, 1994) is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).
As a high school sophomore at Albuquerque Academy in 2010, Bregman became the ...
drove in what turned out to be the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice that scored Jose Altuve
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
*Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Gali ...
, who slid just by the catcher's foot and tag. Lance McCullers Jr. pitched his first game of the 2021 season without a walk, going 6 innings with four hits and zero runs (becoming the first Astro with six scoreless innings and no walks since Brandon Backe in 2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
). Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-3 while driving in two runs, which included a home run.
Game 2
Framber Valdez was matched against Lucas Giolito. Each pitcher would fail to reach the fifth inning. The Astros rallied for five runs in the seventh inning when eight batters went to the plate, with Yordan Alvarez hitting a liner past second base to break the 4–4 tie. With two outs, Carlos Correa
Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, who selected him first overall in ...
then lined a ball past right fielder Leury Garcia
Leury () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The communes co ...
for a two-run double and Kyle Tucker
Kyle Daniel Tucker (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros selected Tucker with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he ...
capped the game with a home run.
With the Astros win, it marked the fifth consecutive Division Series in which they won the first two games, a feat matched by no team in the past 25 years. Dubiously, the White Sox became the first team in Major League history with at least 15 hits with none for extra bases in the first two games of a postseason, having accrued 18 singles.
Game 3
The White Sox won Game 3, 12–6, to avoid elimination. Both starting pitchers, Luis García for Houston and Dylan Cease for Chicago, exited before the end of the third inning, having allowed five runs and three runs, respectively. Houston had a 5–1 lead in the middle of the third inning, but Chicago scored five in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. The Astros tied the game, 6–6, in the top of the fourth, which the White Sox answered with three runs for a 9–6 lead. The only other scoring in the game was three runs by Chicago in the bottom of the eighth, for the 12–6 final. The White Sox outhit the Astros, 16–6, led by Tim Anderson who had three hits; Leury García
Leury García (born March 18, 1991) is a Dominican professional baseball utility player for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the Texas Rangers. While primarily used as an infielder and center fi ...
had a home run and four RBIs, while Yasmani Grandal also homered and had three RBIs. Kyle Tucker
Kyle Daniel Tucker (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros selected Tucker with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he ...
homered for the Astros, his second of the series.
Game 4
Game 4 was originally scheduled for October 11, but was postponed a day due to rain.
After being postponed by inclement weather the day before, Lance McCullers Jr. was tabbed as the starter for Houston while Carlos Rodón was the Game 4 starter for the White Sox attempting to save their season and force a Game 5 in Houston the next day. Rodón looked sharp early, breezing through the first two innings on 26 pitches. Gavin Sheets
Gavin Sheets (born April 23, 1996) is an American professional baseball right fielder and first baseman for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021.
Amateur career
Sheets attended Gilman School in Balt ...
homered in the bottom of the second to start the scoring, but the Astros would answer right back in the top of the third with a Carlos Correa
Carlos Javier Correa Oppenheimer Jr. (born September 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, who selected him first overall in ...
bases-loaded double to bring it 2–1 and knocking Rodón out of the game. The Astros never looked back as they added on in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from Martin Maldonado and an RBI double from Alex Bregman
Alexander David Bregman (born March 30, 1994) is an American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB).
As a high school sophomore at Albuquerque Academy in 2010, Bregman became the ...
to make it 5–1. McCullers got out of a jam in the bottom of the inning by striking out César Hernández looking. The White Sox would not have a runner in scoring position for the rest of the game. McCullers would be replaced by Yimi Garcia in the fifth due to forearm tightness. Michael Brantley
Michael Charles Brantley Jr. (born May 15, 1987) is an American professional baseball left fielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians. The son of former MLB player and ...
added two insurance runs with RBI singles in the sixth and eighth innings before José Altuve capped off the day with a three-run homer in the top of the ninth. Ryan Pressly
Thomas Ryan Pressly (born December 15, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has also played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins.
Originally selected by the Boston Red Sox in the ...
got Hernández to ground out and send the Astros to their fifth straight ALCS appearance. The Astros became the first team since the 1995–1999 Atlanta Braves, and only the third team in MLB history, to make five straight LCS appearances, the first being the 1971–1975 Oakland Athletics.
Altuve's home run in the ninth tied him with George Springer for the most career postseason home runs in Astros history, and moved him up to a tie for fourth place on the all-time leader board with Springer and Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara () (); born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "The Machine ...
, with 19. The nine-run victory was the largest winning margin ever recorded by a team in a clinching game of the American League Division Series.
With the starts by Altuve, Bregman, Correa, and Yuli Gurriel, they played their 60th postseason game together, the most by a quartet of teammates in major league history.
See also
*2021 National League Division Series
The 2021 National League Division Series were two best-of-five-games series in Major League Baseball (MLB) to determine the participating teams of the 2021 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners, seeded first through thi ...
References
Further reading
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External links
Major League Baseball postseason schedule
{{Boston Red Sox
Division Series
American League Division Series
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
Tampa Bay Rays postseason
Houston Astros postseason
Chicago White Sox postseason
Boston Red Sox postseason
Fenway Park
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
Sports competitions in Boston
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
American League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring ea ...
Sports competitions in Chicago