Red Sox vs. Astros: Simulating the 2020 ALDS

Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS: The Boston Red Sox go for two straight. Can they do it?

The Red Sox sent Collin McHugh (14-6, 3.86) in search of a sweep of the two-game set in Houston, but he faced a tough competitor in Justin Verlander (18-7, 3.63).

Verlander made one regular-season appearance against the Red Sox, a 9-2 victory May 22 in which Verlander was removed after six innings leading 7-1. McHugh also faced the Astros once, lasting four and one-third innings May 31 in what would turn out to be Boston’s only victory of the series.

As he did in Game 1, Benintendi got Boston’s attack started, this time with a base on balls. He advanced on Bradley’s line single to right, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on J.D. Martinez’ single, that quickly giving Boston a 1-0 advantage.

It didn’t last. With one out in the second, Tucker – Springer’s replacement – singled and advanced on Reddick’s base hit. McHugh needed a double-play ball from catcher Dustin Garneau to escape with the lead, but what Garneau delivered was a three-run blast into the Crawfords, putting Houston ahead 3-1.

The Red Sox briefly closed within a run when Xavier Bogaerts, the American League batting champion singled and stole second to start the fourth. He was still on second two outs later until Pillar got him home with a line single to center field.

But any emotional uplift the Sox got from that run wore off quickly. With one out in the bottom of the same inning, Reddick singled to right and McHugh hit Garneau with a pitch. Diaz, next up, smashed a short-hopper toward Rafael Devers at third, but he couldn’t handle it and the ball rolled harmlessly away for an infield single loading the bases.

The next batter, Carlos Correa, sent Reddick across with a base hit to right. Michael Brantley’s tap to first provided a second out, but it also allowed Garneau to score Houston’s fifth run. Altuve followed with a shot that handcuffed Red Sox first baseman Chavis, Diaz scoring in the process. That made it 6-2.

Again in the fifth, the Red Sox tapped Verlander for a run – this time on a Bradley home run – and for a third time the Astros re-paid it in triplicate. The key blow was Diaz’s three-run home run off Austin Brice, who had replaced McHugh.

Boston                  100    110    000 – 3  8  0

Houston                030   330    00x — 9  9  1

W: Verlander. L: McHugh.