Page 19 - aruba-today-20181013

A19
SPORTS Saturday 13 OctOber 2018

Red Sox hope to home-field advantage makes difference

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON (AP) — The Red
Sox hope home-field ad-
vantage makes a differ-
ence after consecutive Di-
vision Series eliminations.
Boston began the post-
season 0-2 on the road
at Cleveland in 2016 and
again at Houston last year.
By winning a club-record
108 games this season, the
Red Sox ensured home-
field advantage through
the postseason. They split
at home against the Yan-
kees last weekend, swept a
pair of games in New York
to advance and open the
AL Championship Series
against the World Series
champion Astros on Satur-
day night.
Chris Sale starts for the Red
Sox and Justin Verlander for
the Astros.
Sale gave up seven runs in
last year’s opening 8-2 loss
to Houston, including two
home runs by Jose Altuve
and by Alex Bregman. Sale
made a rare relief appear-
ance in Game 4 at Fenway Boston Red Sox’s Brock Holt holds a bat at a baseball workout, Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, in Boston. The Red Sox face the Houston
Park, replacing Rick Por- Astros in Game 1 of baseball’s American League Championship Series on Saturday at Boston’s Fenway Park.
cello to start the fourth in- Associated Press
ning with Boston trailing 2-1. home record in the major and 1990. Red Sox manager Alex the Yankees while running
After Andrew Benintendi’s leagues, and Sale has a “It’s a big difference to be Cora said thus year’s win the bases, participated in
two-run homer put the Red 1.29 ERA and .199 oppo- able start at home against over the Yankees provides batting practice on Thurs-
Sox ahead, Sale allowed nents’ batting average in a good team,” Holt said. a mental boost, especially day. “He’s feeling better,”
Bregman’s tying home run his last eight home starts. After beating the 100-win after the Game 2 loss at Cora said. “We’ve still got
leading off the eighth and “I think he just feeds off Yankees, the Red Sox face home. “I think we grew up time to see where we’re
a one-out single to Evan the crowd and he just the 103-victory Astros. The as a group,” he said. at with him. Hopefully he
Gattis, who gave Houston feels more comfortable at only other year Boston met Cora was Houston’s bench keeps getting better and
the lead for good when he home,” Red Sox shortstop a pair of teams in the post- coach last year before he he’ll be ready to go on
scored on Josh Reddick’s Xander Bogaerts said. season with triple-digit regu- was hired by Boston. Saturday.” ... 3B Eduardo
single against Craig Kim- Boston won the AL pen- lar-season wins was in 2004, “Like Verlander said in Nunez appeared to injure
brel. “Going through that nant in four of the six times it when the Red Sox beat the spring training, to get to himself while making the
the last two years helped,” opened the Championship Yankees (101) to become the World Series, you have throw to first for the final out
Brock Holt. “We’re bet- Series at Fenway, in 1975, the first major league team to go through Houston,’” Tuesday. “He’s OK. I think
ter because of what hap- 1986, 2007 and 2013, the to rebound from a 3-0 post- Cora said. “Here we are.” he slipped on that play,
pened last year.” last two en route to World season deficit, then swept Notes: 1B Mitch Moreland, but then he was jumping
Boston was 57-24 at Fen- Series titles. The Red Sox St. Louis (105) for their first who injured his right ham- up and down celebrating,”
way Park this year, the best failed at this stage in 1988 title since 1918. string in Game 2 against Cora said.q