Here are the takeaways as the Red Sox couldn’t capitalize on one of the best games of Kiké Hernández’s career, falling 5-4 in Game 1 of the ALCS to the Astros.
The Big Picture
Chris Sale — whose start in Game 1 was somewhat surprising — wasn’t particularly sharp, but he gave up just one run in his 2 2/3 innings of work. Before Sale left the mound, Red Sox manager Alex Cora pounded him on the chest and appeared to deliver an inspiring speech as Sale nodded along.
The Red Sox couldn’t get themselves on the board despite consistent traffic on the basepaths until the third inning, when Kiké Hernández launched a lead-off homer that evened the score.