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Red Sox vs. Astros commentary, scores, stats and updates: Championship Series

Update:
Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryne Stanek yells after Boston Red Sox's Kyle Schwarber popped out to end the top of the eighth inning of Game 6 of the baseball AL Championship Series, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, in Houston. (Kevin M. Cox/The Galveston Coun

Red Sox vs. Astros ALCS Game 6

This is the end of our live commentary coverage, but you can follow all of the news and commentary on en.as.com/mlb

Dusty Baker has always made it his mantra to win the last three innings. If you win the last three then you are either getting back into a game or putting one to bed. Houston dominated the last three innings in all of their wins.

What a road this series has been. At every turn, the Red Sox seemed to have more, seemed to be the team to beat. But the last three games started off shocking everyone and then moved into respect and finally acceptance. Houston have taken Boston's game apart.

They will now represent the American League in the World Series.

He rocks one to left but right at Brantley. Ball game! The Astros win the American League pennant!

One lifeline left for Xander Bogaerts.

Devers takes the spot and takes a huge swing on strike three. He comes up with nothing and this is two away.

He flies one to shallow center for the first out.

Pressly comes in to try and put the lid on this series for Houston and faces Kiké Hernandez.

Boston have three outs worth of life left in their season. They have to lay it all out there. Now or never.

What a great shot for three runs

McCormick comes to the box and Gurriel takes off on an outside breaking ball. He gets second with no throw. McCormick sends a fly ball to right with the next ball to end the inning, but not before Houston add what may be the back-breaker for Boston. We go to nine Houston 5 Boston 0.

Gurriel pokes the next pitch into left field for a single. Two out hitting has been the story of the series for Houston. It is all the difference between these two teams.

Gurriel comes in and Ottavino deals quickly, jumping out front 1-2.

Tucker hits a shot to left, long, high and GONE! A three run shot in the eighth!

Kyle Tucker comes in to see if he can do something here in the eighth.

Correa hits a sharp chopper to Devers at third and the takes the only play that he had stepping on the bag. Houston still have men on first and second, now with two outs.

Ottavino is called upon to try and get Boston out of this mess and he will face Correa.

Houston have runners on first and second with one out.

That will be it for Tanner Houck.

He slaps one up the middle and he is now 4 for 4 on the night. What a hot bat he has at the moment!

Bregman stands in and pops one up by first base. One away and that will bring up Yordan Alvarez.

Brantley ropes one into center for his first hit of the day. Houston have a man on an nobody out.

Houck goes to work in the bottom of the eighth on Michael Brantley.

He pops the payoff straight up to second and Correa hauls it in to end the inning.

He stays disciplined and runs the count full, truthfully at the mercy of the umpire because two of those were strikes in my opinion.

Houston are in a shift to the right side and Schwarber takes two strikes without offering.

Kyle Schwarber steps in 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a fly out on the night.

Vázqeuz pops one up to the right side for Gurriel and we have two away.

Houston have their closer Pressly up in the bullpen.

Christian Vázquez will now come in as a pinch hitter. The regular catcher, he is working off of the bench tonight as he made way for Plawecki to start behind the plate.

Dalbec sends one out to center for one away.

Houston bring on Ryne Stanek to deal to Bobby Dalbec who is pinch hitting for the Red Sox.

He taps one that Verdugo reels in at the base of the warning track in center to end the inning. We move to the eighth 2-0

The man who Dusty Baker called "Mighty Mouse", Jose Altuve comes in to see if he can put something into play here in the bottom of the seventh.

Martín Maldonado takes his at-bat and goes down on strikes.

He sends a little floater to short for the first out.

McCormick leads off the bottom of the seventh for Houston.

Right on the money!

The payoff is good for a strikeout. Verdugo takes off and Maldonado's throw to second is a peach! Gets him dead to rights! Strike-em-out, throw-em-out to end the inning. And that is why Maldonado is in the lineup.

He sets and delivers a strike to fill the count.

Graveman has set and stepped off twice now. He seems to be stalling. Maldonado goes out to have a chat with him.

The count runs to 3-1

Graveman is keeping everything high for Shaw and is having trouble gettin him to chase.

Travis Shaw comes in as a pinch hitter.

He chops one over the head of Gurriel and into right field. Martinez digs out third base and we have men on the corners with one out.

Verdugo will now come up to face Graveman with one out and one on.

JD Martinez comes up to the box and runs the count full. He shows great patience and draws the walk.

He fights strong to run the count full, then watches a beauty of a fastball go by at the knees for a called strike three. One down.

Kendall Graveman comes on to deal the balls and strikes for Houston. Xander Bogaerts is the man who will face him.

Gurriel comes up and grounds out to second to end the inning. We move to seven Boston trailing 2-0.

Kyle Tucker will step in and Houck delivers for a shot hit directly at first base. He fields it, steps on the bag and tags Correa for the double play. The run from third scores but we now have nobody on and two outs. A run scores but only one run.

Houck throws him inside a few times and then catches him right on the elbow. He takes first base and now we have men on the corner with nobody out.

Carlos Correa will be the first man to face him with no outs and Alvarez just 90 feet away.

Josh Taylor will be sent to the showers and the duties will fall on Tanner Houck.

The big man can definitely run.

The count runs full and the payoff is slapped into the right field corner for a lead off TRIPLE!

He has the hottest bat in any of the four teams still playing in the post season.

Alvarez sends one into the stratosphere but foul. It hit the roof above the right field wall.

Josh Taylor faces Yordan Alvarez to lead off the inning.

Phil Maton comes in for the Astros to get out of this jam. He will face Devers who skies one on the infield. One pitch, one out, and we go to the bottom of six, Houston still leading by one.

That is the first base hit given up by Garcia. Dusty Baker wastes no time at all in pulling him. What a marvellous performance by this young man.

Kiké Hernandez steps in and manages to get a full count. He gets the payoff pitch and sends it off the centerfield wall with a stand-up triple! The tying run is now 90 feet away.

Schwarber comes to the plate and hits one very deep to left and it is caught in the angle of the warning track for out number two. That was a homerun in most other parks.

Garcia is on fire! He gets Santana completely turned around and gets him with that circle change for out number one.

The top of six and Danny Santana pinch hits for Plawecki.

Here is that awkward fielders choice

Bregman grounds one to Bogaerts who goes the short way for the force out at second to end the inning.

Brantley is on first and Bregman comes to the plate with one out now.

Josh Taylor comes in for the Red Sox and will face Brantley who swings on the first pitch for an awkward ground out to second.

Garcia's windup has to be the strangest around

He gets Altuve swinging at a cutter for strike three. Alex Cora comes out and that is it for Eovaldi. There was no way that they could leave him in for the meat of the order coming up. With one away, Boston will get a new pitcher.

Altuve comes to the plate and the question has to be how long to leave Eovaldi in for. He is still hitting the corners at 98mph so it is tempting to leave him in, but usually when that happens a pitcher is left in one pitch too long.

Almost incredibly, Eovaldi comes out to start the bottom of the fifth and hangs one for Martín Maldonado. He slaps it to left for a single. The crowd erupts! He really needed that hit, it is his first one in the series.

Unique souvenir for somebody

Garcia gets him swinging and has an incredible 1-2-3 inning. What control this young Venezuelan pitcher has. He is really dialled in tonight.

Renfroe comes in 0 for 1. He popped out to second his last trip to the plate.

Garcia gets him swinging and records the strikeout for one away.

Arroyo takes a hard swing and a fan wind up with the bat! Great souvenir for him.

Boston now has to make their bats work and Verdugo tries to get it started. He hits a hard line drive directly to Bregman for the first out.

Eovaldi strikes him out! What a performance by the Boston pitcher. After the double, he put on a masterclass there. What an inning for Boston and what a disappointment for Houston. Getting out of that with no score is huge. It could be turning point for the whole series.

Gurriel comes up and gets the intentional walk. They don't want to pitch to him. McCormick comes in with all of the pressure on his shoulders. Bases full, two outs.

Tucker strikes out on a ball in the dirt, forcing the throw to first for the putout.

Eovaldi is really emptying the tank here. His grunts are louder than the crowd. He is throwing splitter after splitter, all in the high 90s.

Correa worked the count full and the chased a terrible pitch for strike three. Second and third with one out now for Kyle Tucker.

Carlos Correa comes to the plate. Boston's infield is playing on the grass. The play for them has to be at the plate.

The Red Sox bullpen is showing signs of activity.

Bregman gets into third and we have men on second and third with nobody out. Dave Bush comes out to the mound to have a word with Eovaldi.

Third pitch is lined to the left field corner for another double! He is red hot! No fear at all.

He fouls two pitches off and is now in a hole.

Alvarez comes to the plate with no outs. He is absolutely on his A game a the moment.

The bottom of the fourth and Bregman steps up to lead off. He gets a full count and knocks one through the second base coverage for a single to right.

Couldn't resist the temptation

JD Martinez is more patient, taking pitches and working the count full. The payoff comes a real junk ball in the dirt but Martinez bites and can't check his swing.

Xander Bogaerts hits a hot ground ball to Bregman who fields it cleanly and comes up throwing for the second out.

He hits one almost straight up in the air. It floats out behind the mound and Correa takes it for the first out.

Rafael Devers leads off the fourth, he flied out to center last time up.

Verdugo covered a lot of ground

He finally gets one that he can put into play and flies out to right to end the inning. We move to four still 1-0.

Brantley gets behind 0-2 and then is in the position of having to protect the plate. He fouls off a few questionable pitches before getting his first ball.

Maldonado grounds out and Altuve comes up, true to form, first pitch swinging for a fly ball to center. Two down.

Maldonado comes to the plate for Houston leading off the third inning. His hitting is abysmal, but that isn't what he is here for, his value to this team is really in what he does behind the plate. His work with Garcia is so good that his 1 for 28 in the postseadon is overlooked.

Kiké takes the box and pops one to straightaway center for the final out. Garcia certainly looks as if that knee is not bothering him at all. He is in firm control here in Houston.

Schwarber comes around and gets straight heat. Fastball fastball fastball and he goes down swinging.

Plawecki, batting in the nine spot, comes up to lead off the third for Boston and quickly gets behind with two strikes. He lines the third one to Bregman at third. What a comedy of errors! Bregman bobbles it, boots it, gets it back makes a bad throw and still Gurriel comes off the bag and makes the tag for the out!

Chas McCormick, who has been splitting left field duties with Jose Siri, comes in and hits a long shot toward the gap in left center! Verdugo is on his horse and makes a sliding catch for the final out.

Gurriel is just as aggressive at the bat and hits a routine fly ball to centerfield for the second out.

Kyle Tucker comes out in the bottom of the second first-pitch swinging and hits a dribbler to second for the easy putout at first.

Here is the Alvarez shot that scored the first run

Hunter Renfroe comes to the dish and sees a cutter that he pops into shallow right center. Jose Altuve goes out to haul it in and end the inning.

Arroyo taps the 2-2 delivery for a pop fly to shallow right field for the second out.

Garcia is sticking to the breaking balls against Arroyo and has some nasty movement on his curve. I mean it just falls right off the table!

Arroyo steps in with a baserunner on first and one out.

Alex Verdugo shows a ton of patience at the plate and holds off some very tempting pitches, including a 97 mph fastball that missed by an inch, to draw the walk.

JD Martinez steps in to lead off the second and strikes out swinging.

Boston had their success against Garcia in Game 2 and they know that they can hit him. Tonight is a rematch in every sense of that game, same pitchers, same location, same situation with Houston with a one game lead. Boston needs to let their bats fly and get something going.

Correa drives one to nearly the same part of the field, not as deep, but Kiké is in position and makes the catch to end the inning. The Astros strand one and score one and we go to the second inning Houston 1 Boston 0

Kiké was on a full sprint and the ball hit the heel of his glove. The scorer decides that was enough to score it as a double rather than an error.

He hits a very long shot to right center, off the wall and he comes in for a double. The ball was actually dropped by Kiké Hernandez! Bregman scores from first and Houston draw first blood.

Yordan Alvarez, the hitting machine, steps up to the plate. Can he carry on his performance from Game 5?

Bregman steps in with the bases empty and two outs and knocks one into centerfield for a single. Houston have their first baserunner of the night.

Brantley steps in and takes a pitch before blooping a little fly ball to second for the putout.

Altuve swings at a first pitch on the outside half of the plate and pushes it to Arroyo who makes the throw to first for the first out. One pitch, one out.

Nathan Eovaldi is on the mound and ready to go to work on Jose Altuve.

Garcia is working the lower half of the strike zone and Martín Maldonado had a bit of trouble getting down in protection mode.

Maldonado made a great stop with a runner on third during the at bat. Bogaerts slaps the following pitch to third base and they make the third out to end the inning.

Devers knocks a deep fly to center. Schwarber tags up and just beats the throw to third. Two down now for Bogaerts.

Kiké Hernandez hits a hard shot to the shift and Altuve makes an incredible athletic catch and throw from his knees to get Kiké at first. Schwarber advances to second now with one out.

It goes down as a strikeout and a wild pitch.

Schwarber strikes out swinging but the ball gets past Maldonado and goes to the backstop! Schwarber beats out the throw and is safe on first. That is a play that you rarely see at this level.

Luis Gargia is on the mound and ready to take on the Red Sox lineup and he puts the first pitch in for a strike on Kyle Schwarber.

Boston is hoping that Eovaldi can last deep into the game. Their bullpen is a little beat up, so the better he does, the more he can take pressure off.

These two teams have flip-flopped the advantage so many times in this series that it is impossible to tell you what to expect. If anyone says they know, they are lying.

The Houston faithful have shown up in force, the noise is intense!

We are ten minutes from the opening pitch. The crowd is still finding their way to their seats, the warmups are done, the anthem has been sung, and Game 6 is almost here.

The difference with Boston weather is real

60 nuns praying for the Astros

Mr October himself Reggie Jackson

Here's the script that won't go away.

Dusty Baker checking out the pregame

Do the Sox have the pitching needed?

Astros Batting Order

Jose Altuve (R) 2B
Michael Brantley (L) LF
Alex Bregman (R) 3B
Yordan Alvarez (L) DH
Carlos Correa (R) SS
Kyle Tucker (L) RF
Yuli Gurriel (R) 1B
Chas McCormick (R) CF
Martín Maldonado (R) C

Red Sox Batting Order

Kyle Schwarber (L) 1B
Kike Hernández (R) CF
Rafael Devers (L) 3B
Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
J.D. Martinez (R) DH
Alex Verdugo (L) LF
Christian Arroyo (R) 2B
Hunter Renfroe (R) RF
Kevin Plawecki (R) C

The Red Sox have brought on post-season talisman Nathan Eovaldi to see them through this crucial game. He has made his name getting the job done in tight spots and tonight is the tightest spot so far.

Eovaldi takes it all in stride, though, telling the press, “There’s just something about when everything is on the line, and I think it brings the best out of us.”

Catcher Christian Vázques has been benched in favor of Kevin Plawecki, as is always the case when Eovaldi pitches. This is pretty common since the relationship between pitcher and catcher is very similar to a marriage. Together they make a harmonious machine and there is a kind of mystical energy, or perhaps synergy, that is greater than either of them individually. The Red Sox sure could use some of that magic tonight.

The Astros have announced 24 year old Venezuelan right-hander Luis Garcia as their starting pitcher. There have been questions about his health after he injured his plant-leg knee in Game 2, but coach Dusty Baker has announced that Garcia told him that he feels fine and the physios agree that he is fit to play.

"All I can do is go on his word, go on the trainer's word, and go on Strommy's [pitching coach Brent Strom] word," reported Baker. “I just hope whatever adjustment that they made that he is not thinking through the act of pitching while he is making his adjustment."

Welcome to the live commentary of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox .

We relocate to south Texas and Houston’s Minute Maid Park for the final two, if necessary, games of the series. Neck and neck running throughout, these two clubs have not been able to establish any discernible momentum in either direction. When Boston broke Houston’s serve in Game 2 and followed it up with a big win in Fenway, Houston responded with two big wins in Boston as if to say, “Anything you can do, I can do.”

And they have managed to get themselves into a situation that will see a win tonight guaranteeing their berth in the World Series. Boston on the other hand can not miss once. A loss tonight ends their season. They are in a fight for their lives and the stakes couldn’t be higher.