After Wednesday's late-inning theatrics, the Red Sox punched their ticket to the World Series.
A close game felt insurmountable once Rafael Devers sent a three-run bomb off of Justin Verlander to the Crawford Boxes in left field. The Astros' bats went cold. Goodnight the lights. It was that simple.
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Here's how Game 5 broke down:
Red Sox vs. Astros score, results
(All times ET.)
11:43 p.m. Tony Kemp flys out to left. The Red Sox are going to the World Series.
11:41 p.m.: Kimbrel gets Marwin Gonzalez looking at Strike 3. Red Sox are one out away.
11:40 p.m.: Kimbrel gives up a one-out walk. Ryan Brasier and Eduardo Rodriguez up in the bullpen.
11:38 p.m. Craig Kimbrel gets Correa swinging for the first out.
11:32 p.m.: Red Sox are three outs away, and here comes Craig Kimbrel.
11:24 p.m. END OF EIGHTH: Nathan Eovaldi gets Altuve to fly out center. Getting late early in Houston.
11:21 p.m.: George Springer with a two-out hit in the eighth. His first hit of the night off of Nathan Eovaldi.
11:12 p.m.: Osuna works through an Ian Kinzler double, 'Stros coming up.
11:05 p.m. END OF SEVENTH: Josh Reddick gives a ball a ride to right field, but it settles into Betts' glove for the final out. Red Sox are six outs away from a World Series berth.
10:59 p.m.: Tony Kemp works a two-out walk vs. Matt Barnes. Alex Cora going to Nathan Eovaldi out of the 'pen.
10:55 p.m. ASTROS SCORING PLAY: Marwin Gonzalez deposits a ball into the Crawford boxes for a solo shot. 4-1 Boston.
10:45 p.m.: Nothing doing for the Red Sox in the top of the seventh. Astros coming to back. Last nine outs.
10:26 p.m.: Verlander gets Betts to fly out to right field to end the inning. If the Astros have any hope of winning, the comeback has to start now.
10:18 p.m. — 4-0, Red Sox. Devers hits a three-run home run! Another knock to the opposite field, where Boston's left-handed hitters have been going all night. The Astros are in trouble.
10:16 p.m. — Kinsler singles through the right side. The Red Sox have runners at the corners with no outs.
10:13 p.m. — Mitch Moreland hits an opposite-field double off the wall to lead off the sixth. Kemp almost robbed him.
10:11 p.m. — We're through five innings and still locked in a pitcher's duel. Martinez's home run is the difference so far.
9:51 p.m. — Price gets out of it! His seventh strikeout of the contest ends the fourth-inning threat.
7 punch-outs through 4 scoreless. 👊#DoDamage pic.twitter.com/NPFtvOzXbo
— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) October 19, 2018
9:45 p.m. — Astros get a two-out double from Yuli Gurriel in the fourth. Can they capitalize?
9:39 p.m. — Six strikouts for Price. That's already more than his first two postseason appearances combined.
9:20 p.m. — Price, perhaps under less pressure now that the Red Sox are ahead in the series, has been effective so far. He's pitched three scoreless innings.
9:07 p.m. — 1-0, Red Sox. J.D. Martinez crushes a two-strike pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left field, giving Boston a third-inning lead.
JV, meet J.D. pic.twitter.com/V2gjyNrWaf
— MLB (@MLB) October 19, 2018
9:01 p.m. — Price is through two scoreless innings, but he's needed to use 35 pitches to get there.
8:46 p.m. — Jackie Bradley Jr. walked to load the bases, but Verlander strikes out Betts to escape the jam.
8:40 p.m. — Tony Kemp tracks down a fly ball from Rafael Devers, but Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez extends the inning with a single to right. Boston has two men on with two outs.
8:34 p.m. — A high throw by Alex Bregman allows Ian Kinsler to reach base with one out in the top of the second.
8:29 p.m. — Verlander and Price get through the first inning without much trouble. Price recorded two strikeouts.
8:09 p.m. — We're underway.
8:03 p.m. — Almost game time in Houston. The Red Sox can win this series in five despite dropping Game 1.
7:26 p.m. — Jose Altuve was not about to sit out tonight, even though he injured himself sliding into second base on Wednesday.
Altuve is hurting – but sitting? No way, José. #ALCS pic.twitter.com/6xMTYTTEMM
— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2018
