HOUSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 14-1 win over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Tuesday:
1) Boston improved to 66-55 overall and 27-33 on the road. Houston dropped to 67-53.
2) Rookie catcher Carlos Narváez was not in the Red Sox starting lineup the first four games of the road trip while he dealt with a sore knee. He proved he’s healthy Tuesday, crushing a 383-foot three-run home run in the sixth inning, giving Boston a 5-0 lead. It left his bat at 108.6 mph.
3) Alex Bregman homered in his first at-bat back in Houston on Monday. He homered again Tuesday — and Astros fans again booed him as he rounded the bases. Bregman hit a 338-foot opposite field two-run homer to right. It was his 16th of the season and gave Boston a 7-0 lead in the sixth inning.
4) In his second start since being acquired from the Dodgers on July 31, starter Dustin May dominated, pitching 6 scoreless innings with five hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts
5) It marked May’s fourth career start going 6 scoreless and his first since May 6, 2023 at San Diego. It also is just the second time in his career he has struck out eight over 6 scoreless innings.
6) May threw 34 sweepers, 21 sinkers, 19 four-seam fastballs and 18 cutters, per Baseball Savant. He induced 12 swings and misses: six with his sweeper, three with his sinker, two with his four-seamer and one with his cutter.
7) May had better velocity than usual, topping out at 97.8 mph, per Baseball Savant. His 21 sinkers averaged 95.6 mph, one mile per hour faster than his yearly average (94.6 mph). His 19 four-seamers averaged 96.6 mph, an increase from his 95.5 mph yearly average.
8) Rookie Roman Anthony homered for the second time in as many games. His eighth-inning solo blast went 428 feet and left his bat at 106.9 mph. Anthony also drew four walks to become the first Red Sox player with four or more walks in a game since Kyle Schwarber on Aug.26, 2021 vs. Minnesota.
9) Boston exploded for 14 runs on 13 hits, three homers and eight walks. Wilyer Abreu had both an RBI double and two-run double. Masataka Yoshida had a sac fly. Abraham Toro added an RBI single.
10) The Red Sox and Astros will play the final game of their three-game series Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. eastern. Righty Walker Buehler (7-6, 5.40 ERA) will start for Boston opposite righty Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.51 ERA).
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