Astros’ 16-run loss ties for worst in team history
HOUSTON — Alex Verdugo hit a leadoff homer with four hits and rookie Wilyer Abreu got his first major league home run among four hits as the Boston Red Sox tagged J.P. France for 10 runs in a 17-1 rout of the Houston Astros on Thursday.
The 16-run margin of defeat is tied for the largest in Astros history. It was the seventh time Houston had been routed that bad, according to ESPN Stats & Information, with the last time happening vs. the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 25, 2011.
The Red Sox set season highs with 17 runs and 24 hits, and it was the most runs and hits the World Series champs have allowed this year. Boston has at least one home run in 13 straight games, which is the team’s longest streak since homering in 19 in a row in 2019.
The 24 hits in a game were the most for Boston since Aug. 15, 2015, and the 16-run margin of victory was the team’s highest since a 19-3 win against the New York Yankees on July 25, 2019.
“They were just hot,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “The bats were hot and they can hit and then when the hits start coming, it’s hard to stop it.”
Verdugo drove in two runs and Abreu, who made his debut Tuesday, added four RBI in the victory.
“He’s a good hitter,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He kept putting up good at-bats, even at the end. He was relentless.”
Eight different hitters had multihit games for Boston and nine hitters recorded an RBI, which tied for second among MLB teams this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Tampa Bay had 10 players with an RBI vs. Seattle on June 30.
The Red Sox were up 13-1 before Astros catcher Martín Maldonado took the mound and gave up five hits, including a homer to Connor Wong, and four runs in the ninth. It was his second career pitching appearance and first since throwing a scoreless inning for the Brewers in 2014.
Boston went 10-for-22 with runners in scoring position, while the Astros were 1-for-12 while leaving 11 men on base.
Thursday’s lopsided win salvaged a split of the four-game series between the clubs.
The Astros were hoping to get a strong start from France (9-5) to give their taxed bullpen a rest. Instead, the rookie had the worst performance of his young career, giving up 11 hits and 10 runs — both career highs — without getting out of the third inning.
“It didn’t appear that him and (catcher) Yainer (Diaz) were on the same page for a while,” Baker said. “You could sort of tell they were out of sync and … the guy’s been great for us. I know he feels badly.”
Boston starter Brayan Bello (10-7) yielded nine hits and a run in seven innings for his second straight win.
The Red Sox got going immediately with Verdugo sending France’s third pitch into the seats in right field for his third leadoff homer this season.
There was one on with no outs in the second when Abreu homered to right-center to extend the lead to 3-0. Abreu is a former Astros prospect who was traded to the Red Sox last season as part of the deal for catcher Christian Vázquez.
“As soon as I hit that ball, I knew it was gone,” Abreu said through a translator. “I can’t put into words how I felt in that moment … but it was an amazing experience and an amazing feeling, and I’m happy that it happened today.”
Rafael Devers hit a two-RBI single with one out in the inning to make it 5-0.
Luis Urías added an RBI double with one out in the third and Verdugo knocked another run in with a single later in the inning to put Boston up 7-0. France walked Devers after that to load the bases and end his day.
Brandon Bielak, who was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, hit Justin Turner with a pitch before walking Adam Duvall to send two more runs home. Masataka Yoshida singled after that to make it 10-0, and the Red Sox added another run on a groundout by Pablo Reyes.
Mauricio Dubón doubled to start the fifth and the Astros made it 11-1 when he scored on a single by Alex Bregman. Yordan Alvarez went 1-for-3 in his return after missing two games after slamming his left hand in a door and injuring the index finger.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Closer Kenley Jansen wasn’t available Thursday after leaving Wednesday night’s game with tightness in his right hamstring. Cora said Jansen would be evaluated when they return to Boston on Friday, and the team hopes he can avoid going on the injured list.
Astros: OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder surgery) will return to Sugar Land to resume a rehabilitation assignment this weekend. Baker said Brantley, who hasn’t played since June 2022, wasn’t ready to return and needed more time in Sugar Land before rejoining the Astros.
UP NEXT
Boston: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-6, 3.66 ERA) will start Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Houston: LHP Framber Valdez (9-9, 3.55 ERA) starts for the Astros against Detroit RHP Matt Manning (5-4, 4.31) on Friday night in the first of three games against the Tigers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The final weekend of the MLB season is here — and there’s still plenty to play for!
The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs have both clinched postseason berths, with the Brewers also taking home the NL Central title. The Philadelphia Phillies have locked up the NL East title, and the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth straight NL West title on Thursday. The New York Mets, clinging onto the final wild-card-spot, won their series against the Cubs this week and control their own destiny going into the final weekend, but the door is still open for the Cincinnati Reds — who won on Thursday afternoon — and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL wild-card race.
In the AL, the Toronto Blue Jays became the first AL team to secure a playoff spot and the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners joined them days later. In the biggest twists of the 2025 season, the Cleveland Guardians have rocked the American League playoff picture with a September surge, emerging as a serious contender in both the AL Central and wild-card race: After winning their series against the Tigers this week, the Guardians are now tied with Detroit for the the AL Central lead.
Beyond division races, there are many storylines to watch as the regular season comes to an end and playoffs begin: Where do current playoff matchups stand? What games should you be paying attention to each day leading up to October? Who will be the next team to clinch a postseason berth? And what does the playoff schedule look like?
We have everything you need to know as the regular season hits the homestretch.
Key links: Full MLB standings | Wild-card standings
Who’s in?
The Brewers clinched the season’s first playoff spot for a second consecutive year on Sept. 13 and followed up by securing their third straight NL Central title. They earned a bye in the first round and are playing for the NL’s overall No. 1 seed.
The Phillies clinched a spot in the postseason on Sept. 14. With a win the following night, Philadelphia clinched the NL East title for the second straight year. On Wednesday, the Phils beat the Marlins to clinch a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS.
The Cubs clinched their spot in the postseason on Sept. 17 and will be making their first playoff appearance in a full-length season since 2018. They will face the Padres in the wild-card series.
With a win Thursday over the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers clinched the NL West title for the 12th time in the past 13 years. They will be the No. 3 seed in the NL and host the No. 6 seed in the wild-card series.
The Blue Jays became the first AL team to secure a postseason berth with a with over the Royals on Sunday. They are currently tied with the Yankees for first place in the AL East — the division winner will earn a bye.
The Padres clinched their fourth postseason trip in six years with a walk-off win over the Brewers on Monday. They will face the Cubs in the wild-card series.
The Yankees became the second AL team to clinch a playoff spot with a walk-off win over the White Sox on Tuesday. They are currently tied with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East — the division winner will earn a bye.
The Mariners clinched their first postseason appearance since 2022 on Tuesday and, with a 9-2 win on Wednesday, won their first AL West crown since 2001. They earned a bye in the first round.
Who can clinch a playoff spot next?
Upcoming clinch possibilities:
-
The Red Sox can clinch a postseason berth Friday with a win OR an Astros loss
-
The Guardians can clinch a postseason berth Friday with a win OR an Astros loss
-
The Tigers can clinch a postseason berth as early as Friday with any combination of three Detroit wins and Astros losses
What are this October’s MLB playoff matchups as it stands now?
American League
Wild-card round: (6) Tigers at (3) Guardians, (5) Red Sox at (4) Yankees
ALDS: Tigers/Guardians vs. (2) Mariners, Red Sox/Yankees vs. (1) Blue Jays
National League
Wild-card round: (6) Mets at (3) Dodgers, (5) Padres at (4) Cubs
NLDS: Mets/Dodgers vs. (2) Phillies, Padres/Cubs vs. (1) Brewers
Tiebreaker scenarios
AL East teams
Toronto Blue Jays
Win tiebreaker: Mariners, Red Sox, Yankees
Lose tiebreaker: Guardians
New York Yankees
Win tiebreaker: Mariners
Lose tiebreaker: Blue Jays, Guardians, Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
Win tiebreaker: Astros, Guardians, Yankees
Lose tiebreaker: Blue Jays, Mariners
(Red Sox still have 3 games left vs. Tigers)
AL Central teams
Cleveland Guardians
Win tiebreaker: Astros, Tigers, Yankees, Blue Jays
Lose tiebreaker: Mariners, Red Sox
Detroit Tigers
Win tiebreaker: Astros
Lose tiebreaker: Guardians, Mariners
(Detroit still has 3 games left vs. Red Sox)
AL West teams
Seattle Mariners
Win tiebreaker: Tigers, Guardians, Red Sox
Lose tiebreaker: Blue Jays, Yankees
Houston Astros
Win tiebreaker: N/A
Lose tiebreaker: Guardians, Red Sox, Tigers
NL East teams
Philadelphia Phillies
Win tiebreaker: Dodgers
Lose tiebreaker: Brewers
New York Mets
Win tiebreaker: N/A
Lose tiebreaker: D-backs, Reds
(Mets would lose tiebreaker in 3-way tie with Reds and D-backs)
NL Central teams
Milwaukee Brewers
Win tiebreaker: Phillies
Lose tiebreaker: N/A
Chicago Cubs
Win tiebreaker: Dodgers
Lose tiebreaker: N/A
(Padres and Cubs tied season series, division record tiebreaker TBD)
Cincinnati Reds
Win tiebreaker: D-backs, Mets
Lose tiebreaker: N/A
(The Reds would win tiebreaker in 3-way tie with D-backs and Mets)
NL West teams
Los Angeles Dodgers
Win tiebreaker: Padres
Lose tiebreaker: Brewers, Cubs, Phillies
San Diego Padres
Win tiebreaker: N/A
Lose tiebreaker: Dodgers
(Padres and Cubs tied season series, division record tiebreaker TBD)
Arizona Diamondbacks
Win tiebreaker: Mets
Lose tiebreaker: Reds
(D-backs would lose tiebreaker in 3-way tie with Reds and Mets)
Breaking down the AL race
The Blue Jays are trying to hold for the AL’s No. 1 seed and division title. While Toronto sits atop the AL East, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are duking it out for wild-card seeding. And the Seattle Mariners separated themselves from the Houston Astros in a two-team AL West race to win their first division crown since 2001. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are going toe-to-toe with the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central while also playing themselves into a tight race for the final wild-card spot.
And what about when these teams get to the postseason? Here’s what their chances are for every round:
Breaking down the NL race
The Brewers were the first MLB team to seal its spot in October, and the Phillies — who then sealed an NL East title — clinched next. A group of contenders have separated themselves atop the NL standings with the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds battling for the final playoff spot, and there is intrigue in the NL West as the Dodgers attempt to fend off the Padres for the division crown.
And what about when these teams get to the postseason? Here’s what their chances are for every round:
Game of the day
Looking for something to watch today? Here’s the baseball game with the biggest playoff implications:
Playoff schedule
Wild-card series
Best of three, all games at better seed’s stadium
Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*
Division series
Best of five
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*
League championship series
Best of seven
ALCS
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*
NLCS
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*
World Series
Best of seven
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*
* If necessary
ARLINGTON, Texas — Bruce Bochy is in the final games of his three-year contract with the Texas Rangers, a span that began with the franchise’s only World Series title, but baseball’s winningest active manager isn’t ready to discuss if he will be back next season.
“Season’s not over. It’s something we’ll talk about when the season’s over,” Bochy said before the Rangers lost 4-0 to Minnesota in their home finale Thursday. “So I’m going to stick with that right now and see if we can win a couple of games here.”
Both Bochy, who turned 70 this season, and Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said they will talk about next season after this one is done. The Rangers, who will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row since that championship in 2023, finish with three games at Cleveland this weekend.
“The two of us will sit down and talk about where things are, what happened this year, where we’re going,” Young said. “There’s things that I’m sure he’s going to want to know about the future of the team and we’ll talk about it, like we did three years ago, and figure it out.”
Young, who pitched a season for Bochy in San Diego, was the Rangers general manager when he hired Bochy as manager after the 2022 season. They were coming off their sixth consecutive losing season, the longest streak in the half-century since the franchise moved to Texas in 1972.
At that time, Bochy had been out of managing for three seasons. He stepped away from the San Francisco Giants in 2019 after 13 seasons and three World Series titles, which followed 12 seasons and a National League pennant with the Padres.
“Just love him. He’s great. I love working with him. He’s been wonderful,” Young said. “He came here to win a World Series. He’s helped us accomplish that. And, you know, we’ll figure out what the future holds.”
Young didn’t have a timeline on how quickly a decision could be made after the season ends this weekend.
The Rangers (80-79) were eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday night when they lost their eighth straight game, but ended that losing streak the next night. They can still finish with a winning record, but would have to win two out of three against the playoff-chasing Guardians.
Bochy has a career record of 2,251-2,264 over his 28 seasons, with those wins ranking sixth among all managers – the five ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame. No managers in the past 60 years have more than Bochy’s four World Series titles, and the only ones all-time with more are Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack.
“Oh, I’ve really had a great time, and it’s as much fun as I’ve had in the game,” Bochy said of his three seasons back in the dugout. “I said this when I came back, you have a deeper appreciation when you’re out, especially for three years and you realize what you have, how blessed you are to be doing what you’re doing. It’s been a lot of fun and I still love it, and enjoy it.”
The only current MLB manager older than Bochy is 73-year-old Ron Washington with the Angels, though he hasn’t managed a game for the Angels since June 19 before he had quadruple bypass heart surgery.
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