ALEX VERDUGO

So much went right at the right times for the Houston Astros to win the American League pennant. So what will be the biggest key to winning the World Series?

Boston's bats went quiet for the third straight game and the Red Sox bowed out of the AL Championship Series with a punchless 5-0 loss to the Houston Astros in Game 6.

Rookie Luis García showed the poise of an October ace, MVP Yordan Alvarez stayed hot at the plate and the Houston Astros earned yet another trip to the World Series, beating the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series.

Framber Valdez gave the Houston Astros the start they were looking for.

The AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays saw their record-setting season come to a sudden end Monday night when they lost to the Boston Red Sox 6-5 in Game 4 of their Division Series and were eliminated in the best-of-five playoff.

J.

Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber homered off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to help the Boston Red Sox beat New York 6-2 in the AL wild-card game.

The Boston Red Sox have clinched a playoff berth on the regular season’s final day and will host the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game after coming back to beat the Washington Nationals 7-5 on a tiebreaking two-run homer by Rafael Devers in the ninth inning.

Aaron Judge doubled in the go-ahead runs to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-3 victory and a wild-card flipping three-game sweep.

Austin Meadows hit a tying, inside-the-park homer in the ninth inning, Nelson Cruz had a go-ahead single in the 10th and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Boston Red Sox 11-10.

Travis Shaw hit a game-ending grand slam in the 11th inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 8-4.

Bolstered by Chris Sale’s first major league appearance in just over two years, the Boston Red Sox hit five homers while pounding Baltimore 16-2, handing the Orioles their 10th straight loss.

Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs to shake Fenway Park and storm past the New York Yankees 5-4.

Kiké Hernández hit a two-run double that tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of a record four wild pitches by Brooks Kriske in the 10th to rally past the rival New York Yankees 5-4 on a rainy night at Fenway Park.

The fan who hit Boston Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo with a baseball thrown out of the Yankee Stadium stands has been banned for life from attending big league games.

Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 32nd homer and broke the single-season major league record for homers by a Japanese player during the Los Angeles Angels’ 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Kiké Hernández and Rafael Devers homered in the first inning as the Boston Red Sox hammered Gerrit Cole, routing the New York Yankees 9-2 to complete a second straight sweep of their longtime rivals.

J.

Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman homered to help Jake Odorizzi pick up his first win since 2019, and the Houston Astros rolled past the Boston Red Sox 8-3.

Christian Arroyo hit a two-run single in Boston’s three-run fourth inning, and the Red Sox took advantage of Miami’s shoddy play to hold off the Marlins 5-3 for their fifth straight victory.

Rafael Devers and the Red Sox go for a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium in this week’s Sunday night matchup.

Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Michael King, Marwin González added a two-run double and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 5-2 in the first of the rivals’ 19 meetings this season.

Kyle Tucker had a season-best three hits and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Houston Astros beat former bench coach Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox 11-2.

Kyle Tucker had a season-best three hits and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Houston Astros beat former bench coach Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox 11-2.

Max Kepler’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Minnesota a 4-3 victory over Boston, stopping a five-game losing streak for the Twins and breaking a nine-game winning string for the Red Sox.

All players, managers, coaches and umpires will wear No. 42 on Thursday to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, marking the anniversary of the date the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer made his Major League Baseball debut and broke the sport’s color barrier in 1947.

Alex Verdugo had three hits, including a two-run single in a six-run fifth inning, and the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to nine games, beating the Minnesota Twins 7-1 to sweep a doubleheader.

J.

Boston Red Sox's Tanner Houck delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)BOSTON – Despite dismal results against the New York Yankees this season, at least the Boston Red Sox didn’t have to watch their longtime rivals enjoy clinching a playoff berth at Fenway Park. New York had matched its longest winning streak against the Red Sox, also winning 12 in a row in 1936 and from 1952-53 when Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams was flying combat missions in the Korean War. Red Sox: Off on Monday before beginning their final home series, a three-game set that starts Tuesday against Baltimore. RHP Nick Pivetta, acquired in a trade with the Phillies last month, will make his Red Sox debut.

Soto and Howie Kendrick hit back-to-back homers in Washington's five-run third inning, and Max Scherzer struck out 11 to lead the Nationals to a 10-2 victory over the Red Sox on Friday night. Trea Turner and Victor Robles had three hits apiece for Washington, which handed Scherzer (3-1) a 5-0 lead in the third. The Red Sox scored one in the ninth and loaded the bases before Ryne Harper got the last two outs. The Nationals snapped a three-game losing streak and sent the Red Sox to their fourth loss in five games; it's Boston's worst start since the Great Depression. Red Sox: RHP Chris Mazza (0-1) starts in the second game of the series.

Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki, top, looks on. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)NEW YORK Ted Williams was piloting fighter jets in Korea the last time the New York Yankees dominated the Boston Red Sox like this. Luke Voit homered twice, Aroldis Chapman returned from the COVID-19 injured list to pitch the ninth inning and the Yankees beat the Red Sox 6-3 Monday night for their 10th straight victory in the famed rivalry. The tarp was rolled out with the Red Sox rallying in the fourth inning. Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (0-0, 2.31) opposes Rays LHP Blake Snell (1-0, 2.08) at Yankee Stadium.

New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)NEW YORK Gerrit Cole posted his 20th straight regular-season win, becoming the sixth pitcher to ever reach the mark by throwing seven sharp innings to lead the New York Yankees over the Boston Red Sox 10-3 Friday night. New York also beat Boston for the seventh straight time and is 12-1 at home against the Red Sox since the start of last season. The Red Sox also lost to the Yankees for the 12th time in the past 13 meetings since July 28, 2019. Yankees: LHP James Paxton (0-1, 7.84 ERA) starts Saturday.

Baltimore Orioles' Alex Cobb pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)BOSTON Anthony Santander and Renato Nez each drove in two runs and the Baltimore Orioles held off the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Saturday to even their season-opening series. Prez (0-1) lasted just five innings in his Red Sox debut, giving up five runs on six hits and walking two. The Red Sox were just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 runners on base. Red Sox: Right-hander Ryan Weber made his first opening day roster this season after beginning the last four in Triple-A.