An Early Lead and Strong Defense
The Red Sox kicked off the game with a strong start. Jarren Duran doubled to right, setting the stage for Triston Casas who singled to center, bringing Duran home. Although Rafael Devers struck out and Rob Refsnyder lined out, the early lead was encouraging. On the pitching front, the first inning for us was a mixed bag with Alex Bregman homering to left, but our defense quickly recovered with solid plays, including throwing out Jeremy Peña when he tried to steal second.Rafaela Shines in the Second Inning
In the second inning, Ceddanne Rafaela delivered big time! After Masataka Yoshida and Connor Wong each made it safely to the bases and Wong advanced on a wild pitch, Rafaela doubled to bring Wong home. Duran then walked and stole second, making it a tense moment for the Astros, but unfortunately, Wilyer Abreu couldn’t capitalize, ending the inning with a pop-out.Pitcher’s Duel Through the Middle Innings
Both teams' pitchers held their ground during the middle innings, with minimal action on the scoreboard. Our guys like Devers and Refsnyder struck out a couple of times, but our defensive plays ensured the Astros couldn’t catch up. Winckowski, who came in to relieve Kelly, and Weissert, who followed, were crucial in maintaining our lead.Insurance Run at the Seventh
The seventh inning saw another crucial move from Rafaela, who doubled to left, allowing Yoshida to score after he previously singled and stole second base. This extended our lead to 3-1 and lifted our team's spirit. The Astros threatened with bases loaded, but our bullpen held its nerve, with Bernardino striking out Yordan Alvarez to end the inning.Hamilton's Homer in the Ninth Seals It!
Getting some insurance in the ninth inning was fantastic, especially thanks to that solo homer from David Hamilton, his shot going 380 feet to the right and extending our lead to a comfortable 4-1. Our bullpen, with Martin, closed out the game by ensuring no late drama, even with Zach Dezenzo making it to second on fielder’s indifference.Final Thoughts
Our boys did an excellent job holding off the Astros and seizing the win.
From Casas bringing in the first run to Rafaela's clutch doubles and Hamilton's homer, it was a collective effort that got us this win. Can't wait for the next game! Let's go Red Sox! 
Scoreboard for Red Sox @ Astros (August 21st, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 |