Houston Astros Take Game 1 Of ALCS Against The Boston Red Sox, 5-4

The Houston Astros elevated their status as the big bads of baseball Friday night, taking Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, 5-4.

In the early third inning, the teams were tied at 1-1. Houston nabbed the game's first lead off a sacrifice fly that brought Jose Altuve home for the score at the start of the first inning, countered by Boston's Kiké Hernández, who sent a homer down center-field in the third. Hernández was one of the few bright spots for Boston, also sporting a highlight-worthy moment with a diving catch in the second.

The one-run win by Houston was not a cruise control to victory as the team faced a 3-1 deficit into the sixth inning. However, Carlos Correa came through in the clutch for Houston, going 3-for-4 on the night, with his seventh inning homer to thank for putting Houston in the lead. Houston's tandem of experience in Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa paid off: both players recording a homer for the evening.

Altuve's sixth-inning home run marked his 20th postseason score; joining Derek Jeter (20), Bernie Williams (22) and Manny Ramirez (29) as the only players in history to hit or eclipse the 20 run mark. As for Correa, his 16th postseason homer popped off the bat with a perfectly read pitch.

"First pitch I was looking for a fast ball, he threw me a change-up," Correa said in the post-game interview. "I looked at Cintrón and said, 'I got him.'"

Correa spoke on the early two-run deficit that the Astros climbed out of in the sixth, and a combined four RBIs alongside Altuve.

"Experience matters, we know how to win, we know what it takes. We know how to prepare for these moments," added Correa. "Not only physically but also mentally. We want to be in the spot, we want to be in the moment. We live for this."

Game 2 of the ALCS is slated for Saturday at Minute Maid Park with the Astros up 1-0 on the series.

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