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MLB playoffs 2021 - Kyle Schwarber breaks open ALCS Game 3 and a brief history of October grand slams

Kyle Schwarber stepped out of the batter's box and stretched his arms and his blonde bat above his head, loosening up his limbs and the long-sleeved shirt underneath his Red Sox jersey. He wasn't going to swing anyway. Right? Three balls, no strikes, bases juiced, see if Jose Urquidy can throw a strike after already walking two batters in the inning and throwing 34 pitches.

Schwarber did swing -- and good things often happen on a 35th pitch of an inning if you're the batting team. Schwarber sent a 114-mph rocket into the right-field bleachers to give the Red Sox a 6-0 lead in the second inning of Game 3 of their ALCS against the Astros, on their way to a 12-3 drubbing to take a 2-1 series lead.