For a matchup of the two best teams in baseball, ALCS Game 1 was an unexpectedly messy affair. Full of walks, hit batters, errors, dodgy umpiring and long stretches of inaction, Saturday night’s series opener won’t find its way onto many highlight reels. But the Astros did just enough to take the win, downing the Red Sox, 7–2, at Fenway Park. Here are three thoughts on a rough game.
Our promised Chris Sale-Justin Verlander duel fizzled out right from the start. Hitting just 91 mph with his first fastball of the night, Sale labored through four precarious innings, his velocity sapped and his command non-existent.