BOSTON (AP) — Michael Chavis homered, Xander Bogaerts hit a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox averted a sweep against Houston with a 4-3 victory Sunday that snapped the Astros’ 10-game winning streak.
Mookie Betts scored three runs for Boston, which lost the first two games in the first meeting with the Astros since beating them in the 2018 AL Championship Series.
Carlos Correa hit a two-run homer off Chris Sale for Houston, which is 13-4 in May.
Astros outfielder George Springer, who began the day leading the majors with 17 homers, exited with lower back stiffness. He took three big swings in the first inning, striking out. On the last two, Springer appeared to reach briefly for the lower right side of his back. He also struck out swinging his next two at-bats against Sale.
In the seventh, Bogaerts’ double off Framber Valdez (1-2) to deep left-center scored Betts scored from first base.
Sale struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs and four hits with five walks. In his previous start, he became the first major league pitcher to strike out 17 batters in seven innings.
Marcus Walden (6-0) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam and tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Brandon Workman got three outs for his first career save.
Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, the Red Sox scored twice with two outs against Wade Miley. Chavis homered over the Green Monster. Betts then doubled and scored on Bogaerts’ single, a pop fly that dropped in shallow right field after second baseman Yuli Gurriel drifted out for it and got twisted around.
Correa drove a 94 mph fastball an estimated 448 feet into the center field bleachers, making it 3-1 in the third.
Miley gave up three runs in five innings.
NICE TOUCH
Before Chavis stepped into the box, the rookie infielder pointed to a 5-year-old boy, who announced his name in the press box, and then hit the next pitch out.
The Red Sox have kids announce players as they walk up for an inning on Sundays.
YOU’RE FIRST, ROOK
Chavis batted leadoff for the first time, going 2 for 4.
“Just watching the other side, why not?” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, referring to Astros leadoff hitter Springer. “Swing hard and hit it out of the ballpark. We’ll see what happens.”
The move gave Boston six right-handed batters at the top of the order against lefty Miley.
NICE HANDS, SKIP
Cora caught J.D. Martinez’s soft foul ball standing on the second step of the dugout.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: C Robinson Chirinos was in the lineup after getting a scheduled day off. He was shaken up by a foul ball Friday, but stayed in the game.
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia (left knee soreness) was slated to play second base twice this week for Triple-A Pawtucket after being the DH in two games, which would give him four straight starts. He went 1 for 4 on Sunday. “That’s four in a row, but he was DH twice,” Cora said. “We need him to play second.” . C Sandy León is due back from paternity leave Monday after his wife gave birth to a daughter.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Brad Peacock (4-2, 4.01 ERA) is in line to start the opener of a four-game series at home against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.
Red Sox: LHP David Price (1-2, 3.75) is scheduled to come off the injured list Monday night at Toronto. He’s been sidelined with left elbow tendinitis since May 3.
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