Red Sox vs. Astros: Simulating the 2020 ALDS

Game 1 of the 2020 ALDS: Boston Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi evolves.

The first game pitted the teams’ aces, Nathan Eovaldi (16-5, 3.51) against Zack Greinke (20-4, 2.68). Greinke was making his third start against the Boston Red Sox; On May 23 he lasted less than three innings before being knocked out in a game the Houston Astros rallied to win 6-5. Eovaldi did not face Houston during the 2020 regular season simulation.

At Minute Maid Field, the visiting Red Sox immediately asserted themselves. Andrew Benintendi doubled down the line in right to start the game, and he scored on J.D. Martinez’ infield grounder. In the second, catcher Christian Vazquez took Greinke into the Crawford boxes to make the score 2-0. One out later, Michael Chavis singled, took third on Benintendi’s second hit and came home on Jackie Bradley Jr.’s single in front of Josh Reddick in right field.

Alvarez’ towering home run, proving he wasn’t entirely incapacitated, got Houston on the board in the inning’s bottom half. The game then took on some semblance of a pitcher’s duel, Eovaldi allowing just one hit over the next five innings.

In the top of the sixth, Benintendi rattled Greinke with his third hit, a two-out double into the gap in right. He scored when Jose Altuve led Bradley’s ground ball get through him into center field for what was scored a two-base error.

Both pitchers left after seven. Jose Peraza padded Boston’s lead to 5-1 with a home run off Ryan Pressly. The Astros got that run back in the bottom half when Altuve took Matt Barnes deep and mounted a threat off closer Brandon Workman in the ninth. With two out, Reddick bounced a base hit into right field and Kyle  Tucker – seeing action in place of Springer – beat out an infield hit off Peraza’s glove at second. That brought up Aledmys Diaz representing the tying run but Workman got him on a harmless fly ball.

Boston                  120   001   010 – 5 15 0

Houston                010  000   010 – 2   6  2

W: Eovaldi. L: Greinke. S; Workman