Game Recap: Red Sox Drop Fifth Straight Game; Swept by Astros

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros wrapped up their three-game series today at Daikin Park in Houston, TX. Garrett Crochet got the ball for the Red Sox, while Mike Burrows got the ball for the Astros.

Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup

LF – Jarren Duran
SS – Trevor Story
DH – Masataka Yoshida
1B – Willson Contreras
RF – Wilyer Abreu
3B – Caleb Durbin
CF – Ceddanne Rafaela
C – Connor Wong
2B – Isiah Kiner-Falefa

LHP – Garrett Crochet

Houston Astros Starting Lineup

2B – Jose Altuve
DH – Yordan Alvarez
3B – Isaac Parades
SS – Carlos Correa
1B – Christian Walker
RF – Cam Smith
CF – Jake Meyers
LF – Brice Matthews
C – Christian Vazquez

RHP – Mike Burrows

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Red Sox vs. Astros

First Three

The Red Sox finally got on the board early in a game as Jarren Duran led off with a single, then two batters later, Masataka Yoshida walked, and the cleanup hitter, Willson Contreras, singled home Duran to make it 1-0 Red Sox. The lead was short-lived as Yordan Alvarez hit a one-out double and then was brought home by Isaac Parades, who doubled. Parades moved to third on a Carlos Correa groundout and was driven home by Christian Walker, who singled. Garrett Crochet got the last two outs to get out of the inning. The Red Sox tied it back up in the second.

Ceddanne Rafaela led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Isiah Kiner-Falefa pops into a force out as Rafaela was retired at second. Connor Wong doubled, then Kiner-Falefa scored on a Duran single. The Astros went down in order in the bottom half while Mike Burrows struck out the side in the top of the third. Crochet in the third allowed a single to Alvarez and hit Parades with a pitch before getting Correa to ground into a double play and ending the inning with Walker flying out.

Middle Three

In the fourth, the Red Sox had runners on the corners after a two-out walk by Kiner-Falefa and a Wong single, but Burrows got Duran to fly out. Crochet struck out the side in the fourth. After two outs in the fifth, the Red Sox had runners on first and second, but Caleb Durbin struck out swinging. After a quick out by Crochet, Jose Altuve singled, and Crochet hit Alvarez with a pitch. He retired Paredes with a strikeout before Correa hit a three-run home run to make it 5-2. Crochet got Walker to strike out to end the inning.

AJ Blubaugh replaced Burrows, who went five innings. He allowed two runs on five hits; he walked three and struck out six. Blubaugh sent the Red Sox down 1-2-3. Greg Weissert replaced Crochet, who went five innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out seven. Weissert sends the Astros down 1-2-3.

Last Three

The Red Sox couldn’t generate anything in the seventh. In the bottom half, former Red Sox Christian Vazquez hit his first home run of the season. That made it 6-2. The Red Sox got a run back in the top of the eighth as Wilyer Abreu hit a solo home run to make it 6-3. That was it for the Red Sox as the next two were retired. Cam Smith, with two outs in the bottom of the eighth against Garrett Whitlock, delivered a single in a 14-pitch at bat. Smith would steal second, and Whitlock walked the next two batters, loading the bases. Whitlock got out of the jam, striking out Vazquez. Bryan Abreu got the ninth for the Astros, and he allowed a solo home run to Roman Anthony, making it 6-4. He struck out the next three, picking up his first save of the 2026 season.

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Player of the Game

Carlos Correa had just one hit in the game, but it was the big one as his three-run home run was enough to beat the Red Sox.

Next Up:

The Red Sox return Friday as they play their first game at Fenway Park. They start a series against the San Diego Padres. First pitch will be at 2:10 PM EST with Sonny Gray on the mound. The Astros hit the road as they’ll face the A’s on Friday with Christian Javier getting the ball.

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