After Wednesday's late-inning theatrics, the Red Sox punched their ticket to the World Series. A close game felt insurmountable once Rafael Devers sent a three-run bomb off of Justin Verlander to the Crawford Boxes in left field. The Astros' bats went cold. Goodnight the lights. It was that simple. MORE: Get your Red Sox American League Champions gear here Here's how Game 5 broke down: Red Sox vs. Astros score, results (All times ET.) 11:43 p.m. Tony Kemp flys out to left. The Red Sox are going to the World Series. 11:41 p.m.: Kimbrel gets Marwin Gonzalez looking at Strike 3. Red Sox are one out away. 11:40 p.m.: Kimbrel gives up a one-out walk. Ryan Brasier and Eduardo Rodriguez up in the bullpen. 11:38 p.m. Craig Kimbrel gets Correa swinging for the first out. 11:32 p.m.: Red Sox are three outs away, and here comes Craig Kimbrel. 11:24 p.m. END OF EIGHTH: Nathan Eovaldi gets Altuve to fly out center. Getting late early in Houston. 11:21 p.m.: George Springer with a two-out hit in the eighth. His first hit of the night off of Nathan Eovaldi. 11:12 p.m.: Osuna works through an Ian Kinzler double, 'Stros coming up. 11:05 p.m. END OF SEVENTH: Josh Reddick gives a ball a ride to right field, but it settles into Betts' glove for the final out. Red Sox are six outs away from a World Series berth. 10:59 p.m.: Tony Kemp works a two-out walk vs. Matt Barnes. Alex Cora going to Nathan Eovaldi out of the 'pen. 10:55 p.m. ASTROS SCORING PLAY: Marwin Gonzalez deposits a ball into the Crawford boxes for a solo shot. 4-1 Boston. 10:45 p.m.: Nothing doing for the Red Sox in the top of the seventh. Astros coming to back. Last nine outs. 10:26 p.m.: Verlander gets Betts to fly out to right field to end the inning. If the Astros have any hope of winning, the comeback has to start now. 10:18 p.m. — 4-0, Red Sox. Devers hits a three-run home run! Another knock to the opposite field, where Boston's left-handed hitters have been going all night. The Astros are in trouble. 10:16 p.m. — Kinsler singles through the right side. The Red Sox have runners at the corners with no outs. 10:13 p.m. — Mitch Moreland hits an opposite-field double off the wall to lead off the sixth. Kemp almost robbed him. 10:11 p.m. — We're through five innings and still locked in a pitcher's duel. Martinez's home run is the difference so far. 9:51 p.m. — Price gets out of it! His seventh strikeout of the contest ends the fourth-inning threat. 9:45 p.m. — Astros get a two-out double from Yuli Gurriel in the fourth. Can they capitalize? 9:39 p.m. — Six strikouts for Price. That's already more than his first two postseason appearances combined. 9:20 p.m. — Price, perhaps under less pressure now that the Red Sox are ahead in the series, has been effective so far. He's pitched three scoreless innings. 9:07 p.m. — 1-0, Red Sox. J.D. Martinez crushes a two-strike pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left field, giving Boston a third-inning lead. 9:01 p.m. — Price is through two scoreless innings, but he's needed to use 35 pitches to get there. 8:46 p.m. — Jackie Bradley Jr. walked to load the bases, but Verlander strikes out Betts to escape the jam. 8:40 p.m. — Tony Kemp tracks down a fly ball from Rafael Devers, but Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez extends the inning with a single to right. Boston has two men on with two outs. 8:34 p.m. — A high throw by Alex Bregman allows Ian Kinsler to reach base with one out in the top of the second. 8:29 p.m. — Verlander and Price get through the first inning without much trouble. Price recorded two strikeouts. 8:09 p.m. — We're underway. 8:03 p.m. — Almost game time in Houston. The Red Sox can win this series in five despite dropping Game 1. 7:26 p.m. — Jose Altuve was not about to sit out tonight, even though he injured himself sliding into second base on Wednesday.<doc-sep>The Red Sox won the series, 4-1. The Red Sox will face the winner of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers when the World Series begins on Tuesday in Boston. Game 6 of the NLCS is Friday in Milwaukee. David Price pitched six innings for his first postseason victory. Rafael Devers hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series Thursday to lift the Red Sox past the Astros and into the World Series. Related: 2018 World Series schedule Here’s an inning-by-inning review of the way the game unfolded. Advertisement Ninth inning: Red Sox 4, Astros 1 Bottom: Craig Kimbrel replaced Nathan Eovaldi on the mound. After Carlos Correa struck out swinging, Kimbrel walked Yuli Gurriel on four pitches. Marwin Gonzalez struck out looking, and Tony Kemp flied out to center to end the inning. The Red Sox punched their ticket to the World Series. Top: Roberto Osuna retired the side in order. Eighth inning: Red Sox 4, Astros 1 Bottom: George Springer’s two-out base hit into center field put a runner on first, but Jose Altuve flied out to end the inning. Top: Mitch Moreland struck out swinging to open the inning. Ian Kinsler ripped a shot to left field and beat the tag at second for a double. He advanced to third after Roberto Osuna threw a ball in the dirt that bounced off catcher Brian McCann’s chest protector, but was left stranded. Seventh inning: Red Sox 4, Astros 1 Bottom: Matt Barnes replaced David Price on the mound. With two outs, Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo shot to put the Astros on the board. Barnes then walked Tony Kemp to put a runner on first. Game 3 starter Nathan Eovaldi replaced Barnes on the mound, and Josh Reddick flied out to end the inning. Matt Barnes replaced David Price on the mound for the Red Sox. After retiring the first two batters he faced, Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo home run to cut the Red Sox’ lead to 4-1. Advertisement Top: Roberto Osuna replaced Justin Verlander on the mound and retired the side. Sixth inning: Red Sox 4, Astros 0 Bottom: Mookie Betts made a leaping grab at the wall for an out that was eerily similar to Game 4’s controversial fan interference. George Springer grounded out and Jose Altuve struck out swinging to end the inning. Top: Mitch Moreland led off the inning with a double. Leftfielder Tony Kemp made a play on the ball at the wall, but did not catch it. Ian Kinsler hit a right-field single that advanced Moreland to third, and Rafael Devers drove both runners home with a three-run blast to center field. Verlander retired the next three batters to end the inning. Fifth inning: Red Sox 1, Astros 0 Bottom: David Price retired the side in order. Huge out for Price on the 1-3 swinging bunt by Marisnick. Huge out to get through the fifth. Interesting that there was no one warming in the Red Sox bullpen even with Bregman in the on-deck circle readying for his 3rd PA. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Top: J.D. Martinez hit a two-out ground ball into center field to reach base for the third time, but was left stranded. Fourth inning: Red Sox 1, Astros 0 Bottom: After Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa struck out, Yuli Gurriel ended a nine-pitch at-bat with a line drive off the left-field wall. Andrew Benintendi bobbled the ball, allowing Gurriel to easily make it to second. Marwin Gonzalez struck out to end the inning. 3 changeups, an elevated fastball to change the eye level, and a change in the dirt for a K. Price gave him nothing to hit with a runner in scoring position and still punched him out. He's through 4 innings in 73 pitches. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Top: Justin Verlander retired the side in order, including back-to-back strikeouts of Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez. Third inning: Red Sox 1, Astros 0 Bottom: David Price retired the side in order. His pitch count: 47. Top: After Andrew Benintendi struck out looking, J.D. Martinez launched a solo homer to left field to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Advertisement Martinez demolished an elevated curveball and pulled it down the LF line for his HR since Game 1 of the ALDS. Minute Maid got so quiet during the flight of the ball that it echoed throughout the park when it hit off a metal sign above the Crawford boxes. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Second inning: Red Sox 0, Astros 0 Bottom: Yuli Gurriel opened the inning with a hard-hit single to center field, but Price retired the next three batters to end the inning. Price’s pitch count: 35. Price isn't working up in the zone as much as he typically likes to righties, especially with the cutter, though of course the Astros are unusually good at handling elevated pitches. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Price is feeling the changeup - he's thrown more of them (12) than any other pitch. Astros have swung at 6: 4 foul balls and 2 swings/misses. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Top: After Ian Kinsler reached on an error and Christian Vazquez singled, Jackie Bradley Jr. walked to load the bases, but Mookie Betts struck out swinging to end the inning. Bradley with 4 BBs, 3 XBH, and 3 Ks in the series. He's having excellent at-bats. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 First inning: Red Sox 0, Astros 0 Bottom: Red Sox starter David Price allowed a two-out single to Jose Altuve, but then struck out Carlos Correa looking to end the first. Price has already established a willingness to throw all four pitches (2- and 4-seam, change, cutter) in two-strike counts. 2 of his first 3 cutters have been for called strikes - probably the best barometer of the effectiveness of the pitch. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 That said, Price is still throwing the cutter harder than the Red Sox consider ideal (90-91). The difference here vs the Yankees start is that he hasn't been pitching to just one location or narrowed pitch selection, so they're not jumping on it. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Top: Astros starter Justin Verlander got two quick outs, then walked J.D. Martinez before inducing a fielder’s choice groundout from Xander Bogaerts. 11 pitches, 8 fastballs for Verlander in a scoreless first. Price gets his shot at the bottom of the inning. — Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 19, 2018 Pregame news Jeff Kent, who played two of his 17 seasons in the majors for the Astros, is throwing out the first pitch. — Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 18, 2018 Sox updates: Chris Sale threw from flat ground and is ready to start Game 6 if needed. ... Pearce is fine. Moreland is just ready to play after the hamstring strain ... “I haven’t gotten it yet,” newly 43 Alex Cora said when asked what was the best birthday gift he received. 🏆 — Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 18, 2018 Pregame scenes Red Sox players Xander Bogaerts (on ground) and J.D. Martinez had their own methods of stretching prior to Game 5. Jim Davis//Globe Staff Alex Cora. Barry Chin//Globe Staff Where we go from here If the Red Sox win tonight, they are on to the World Series, which would start on Tuesday at Fenway Park. If the Sox lose, the ALCS is headed back to Fenway, where Game 6 would be Saturday. A Game 6 start time depends on the outcome of Friday’s NLCS Game 6. If the Brewers push the series to a Game 7, then a would-be Game 6 of Sox-Astros would be at 5:09 p.m. Saturday; if the Dodgers oust the Brewers in six, then Game 6 of the ALCS would be at 8:09 p.m. Saturday. Lineups and notes ■ LHP David Price (0-1, 9.95 ERA this postseason) and RHP Justin Verlander (2-0, 3.18 ERA) are the starters.<doc-sep>TV/Radio: TBS / WEEI. Red Sox vs. Verlander: Kinsler 8-43, Moreland 11-38, Nunez 7-23, Bogaerts 4-24, Betts 2-20, Benintendi 2-17, Bradley 1-13, Holt 3-12, Leon 4-12, Pearce 2-7, Martinez 2-5, Devers 0-3, Swihart 0-5, Vazquez 0-3. Astros vs. Price: McCann 11-35, Altuve 9-28, Springer 7-30, Maldonado 4-17, Correa 3-15, Gurriel 6-16, Reddick 1-16. Bregman 3-10. Gonzalez 3-13, Marisnick 1-12, White 0-7, Gattis 1-8, Kemp 0-1. What to watch for: Price will be starting on three days’ rest for only the second time in his career, and the first time was after a relief appearance. If he can go four or five innings, the Sox would be thrilled. The other question will be how hard will they lean on their primary relievers or save their arms for a possible Game 6 at Fenway on Saturday. This is not a throwaway game by any means, but they have built a cushion and would have Chris Sale on extra rest waiting. Stat of the Day: The Sox and Astros have played 11 games this season. The Sox have 56 runs and the Astros 54. Advertisement Closing issues: Craig Kimbrel has converted all four save chances he has had in the postseason. But he has allowed five runs on six hits and five walks and two hit batters over 5⅓ innings. He has thrown only 56 of 101 pitches for strikes. Breakthrough? : Price is 0-9 with a 6.16 ERA in 11 career postseason starts. He had a no-decision in Game 2, allowing four runs over 4⅔ innings in a game the Sox won, 7-5. Other notes: Verlander is 13-6 with a 3.08 ERA in 24 postseason games. He faced the Sox in Game 1 and allowed two runs over six innings. Verlander has pitched in four postseason games against the Sox and has a 2.38 ERA over 22⅔ innings. … Xander Bogaerts has a nine-game postseason hit streak. … The Sox are 4-0 on the road in the playoffs and have scored 36 runs. … Of the 21 teams in ALCS history to take a 3-1 lead, 17 have advanced to the World Series. Advertisement Song of the Day: “One More” by Jimmy Cliff. More Red Sox coverage: ■ Nick Cafardo: What will the Sox get from David Price tonight? ■ Chad Finn: Where to rank Andrew Benintendi’s catch, and other questions from the Red Sox’ Game 4 win. ■ Couldn’t stay awake for all of last night’s win? Here are six can’t-miss Red Sox plays. ■ How Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi pulled off those remarkable plays last night. ■ Everything you need to know about the fan interference call that went the Red Sox’ way. ■ How will the Red Sox handle a still-ailing Chris Sale? Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.<doc-sep>
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Houston Astros 4-1 on Thursday night in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series to advance to the 2018 World Series. Boston is a perfect 5-0 in road games this postseason, with two wins in New York in the ALDS and three in Houston in the ALCS. It's the Red Sox's 14th pennant in franchise history. The last three times they were AL champions, they went on to win the World Series (2004, 2007, 2013). Boston awaits the winner of the National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers lead that series 3-2, and Game 6 is Friday night and can be streamed on fuboTV (Try for free). Watch full highlights from ALCS Game 5 between the Red Sox and Astros on CBS Sports HQ. Here's what you need to know about ALCS Game 5: David Price gets first postseason victory On just three days of rest, Price was completely dominant for the Sox on the road. He threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out nine. Before Game 5, Price was 0-9 with a 6.16 ERA in 11 postseason starts. It was his first scoreless outing in 12 postseason starts. His nine strikeouts are a postseason best in his 11-year career. Price's fastball/changeup combination was what kept the Astros lineup from scoring a run during his outing. JBJ wins ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr. was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player thanks to his bases-clearing double to give Boston the lead in Game 2, a grand slam to put away Game 3 and two-run home run to take back the lead in Game 4. It was Bradley's only three hits of the series, but they all came at important moments. He finished the series 3 for 15, with nine runs driven in -- a total surpassed in Red Sox franchise history in an ALCS only by David Ortiz (11 RBI in 2004) and Manny Ramirez (10 RBI in 2007). J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers go deep on Verlander In the top of the third inning, J.D. Martinez delivered a solo shot off Justin Verlander to break a scoreless tie. Before his homer run in Game 5, Martinez had just one postseason home run. Martinez and Verlander were teammates back when they both played for the Detroit Tigers. And before that, Martinez was a part of the Astros organization before they released him in March 2014. Three innings later and Boston went deep on Verlander again. This time, it was 21-year-old Rafael Devers who took Verlander long, for a three-run home run to put the Red Sox up 4-0. Devers joined an exclusive club with his third postseason home run before turning 22. Eovaldi comes out of bullpen Two days after throwing six strong innings and 92 pitches in Game 3, Nathan Eovaldi entered Thursday night's game with two outs in the seventh inning. It's safe to say, he was feeling it. Then, Red Sox manager Alex Cora turned to his closer Craig Kimbrel for the final three outs. Kimbrel got two of those three outs on strikeouts. Astros' Verlander was hit hard It made sense for Verlander to take the mound for Game 5, an elimination game for the Astros. The 35-year-old entered the day 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA over his last four postseason starts in which his team faced elimination. The Martinez home run in the third inning ruined Verlander's streak of 26 consecutive scoreless innings in elimination games, the longest such streak in postseason history. His six swings and misses matched his lowest total of the year. Verlander's 13 career postseason wins rank fourth in MLB history, trailing only Andy Pettitte (19), John Smoltz (15) and Tom Glavine (14). Before the loss in Game 5, Verlander was 5-0 with a 2.42 ERA in his last 5 starts (including postseason) against the Red Sox. Fans back off Mookie Betts' catch After a controversial fan interference ruling in right field during Wednesday's Game 4 in Houston, Astros fans made sure to stay away from a deep fly ball hit to Mookie Betts in Game 5 of the ALCS. Betts again went high to grab Alex Bregman's hit, only this time he made the catch without fan interference for first out of the sixth inning. Up next: World Series The Red Sox will host the winner of the Brewers-Dodgers NLCS.