Roberto Osuna Meltdown Lets Red Sox Run Away With Game 3

Heading into Game 3 of the ALCS, Astros reliever Roberto Osuna hadn’t pitched in 10 days, since Houston’s Game 2 win against Cleveland. He probably wishes he hadn’t pitched today, either.

Entering the game in the eighth inning, with his team down 3-2, Osuna proceeded to completely fuck up any rational hopes of a dramatic Astros comeback, surrendering five runs to give the Red Sox a six-run lead that they would eventually carry to an 8-2 victory.

Osuna started fine, retiring J.D. Martinez to open the inning and rendering a Xander Bogaerts infield single mostly harmless by getting the second out on a Steve Pearce fielder’s choice. But when Rafael Devers got on an 0-2 pitch for a base hit, Osuna cracked. First, Osuna was found on review to have grazed Brock Holt’s foot with an 0-2 pitch, which loaded the bases. Then, again with two strikes, he hit Mitch Moreland on the arm to score a run.

It got much, much worse when Jackie Bradley Jr.—one of the weakest hitters in the Red Sox lineup—came up to bat. After watching a strike and then a ball, Bradley smashed a high and tight heater deep into right field for a no-doubt grand slam, ending Osuna’s night and essentially clinching the game for Boston.

Astros will look to avoid going down 3-1 in the series Wednesday night, with Charlie Morton pitching for the first time this postseason against Rick Porcello.