The Boston Red Sox lost Game 1 of the American League Championship Series to the Houston Astros Friday night at Minute Maid Park, but Kiké Hernández continued his hot streak with a four-hit performance that nearly led his team to victory.
After an MVP-type performance in the American League Divisional Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Hernández started Game 1 exactly where he left off, with a base hit. That was wiped out on a double play off the bat of Kyle Schwarber, but the night was just beginning for the legend of Hernández who continued his historic pace, despite the 5-4 Game 1 loss.
Boston Red Sox lose despite the host streak of Kiké Hernández
But he didn’t just do it at the plate. With the team trailing 1-0 with the bases loaded in the second inning, Hernández kept the score right there with a web gem robbing Astros DH Michael Brantley of a hit that would have broken the game wide open and would have certainly driven Red Sox starter Chris Sale out of the game sooner.
The lanky lefty certainly appreciated the defensive play and of course the overall play of Mr. Hernández.
"“We’re down two runs in the ninth inning and, I mean, this isn’t an easy place to play,” Sale said following the game, via MLB.com. “For [Hernández] to keep us in that game and give us a little bit more life — we lost the game tonight, there’s no doubt about it — but he gave us a little spark at the end to give us something to look forward to tomorrow. That’s all you can ask from a guy like that.”"
As is usually the case in the game of baseball, a great defensive play typically translates to the mound. Hernández stepped to the plate in the top of the third and tied the game on a blast off Astros starter Framber Valdez. That ignited a 3-run inning that had the Red Sox on top until the Astros eventually took a 5-3 lead, but with the hot bat of Hernández, that lead wasn’t safe.
As Sale highlighted, the Red Sox utility man launched another homer in the top of the ninth to draw the game closer. The team couldn’t completely rally back, but that late-inning spark off the bat of Hernandez should certainly carry over into Game 2.
In all, this man is having himself quite an October. It is the type of performance that fans of a World Series champion look back at for years to come as one for the history books. Certainly, Hernández has been making history with 13 hits in a four-game span and there is still a lot of baseball to be played.
"“I’m having a lot of fun,” Hernández said. “It’s a blast. It’s October, and these games tend to be a lot of fun. A lot of adrenaline. A lot of electricity in the crowd. The fact that I’m playing well adds on to it a little bit.”"
Will that adrenaline be enough to propel the Boston Red Sox over the Houston Astros and into the 2021 MLB World Series?
Well, through the first game it wasn’t enough, however if it wasn’t for Kiké Hernández, the team wouldn’t have had the chance to win the game as his bat and grove kept the Boston Red Sox in the game. Let’s see how Act II goes in this legendary postseason performance.