MLB The Show 17: Red Sox at Astros ALDS Game 1 simulation

The American League West division champion Houston Astros came from behind to take the first game of a best-of-five series from the American League East division champion Boston Red Sox.

In the first MLB The Show 17 postseason starts for both Chris Sale and Justin Verlander for their respective teams, neither pitcher figured into the decision. Unlike the American League and National League Wild Card games, this was a tight contest.

A Carlos Beltrán sacrifice fly in the seventh inning put the Houston Astros ahead and scoreless innings by Lance McCullers and Ken Giles preserved the 3-2 victory to give Houston a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five ALDS against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

After Verlander impressed in his first postseason inning as an Astro, Houston’s bats got to work to back him up in the bottom of the first inning. Second baseman José Altuve legged out an infield single to begin the inning, and center fielder Tony Kemp laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance Altuve to second base.

First baseman Yuli Gurriel then lined to right for a single, giving the Astros a 1-0 lead.

Sale looked rattled, as Beltrán got a single and then took second on a wild pitch. Sale was able to gather himself and strike out both left fielder Tyler White and shortstop Marwin González to end the inning after that.

Boston wouldn’t be on the short end of the score for long. In the top of the second, Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers lined to right for a single to start the inning, and Young smacked a triple to center to send Devers hurling toward home plate. A great throw by Kemp, relay by González and tag by Houston catcher Juan Centeno denied Devers the tying run, however.

Boston wouldn’t be denied in the inning, however, as the next at-bat resulted in center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.’s sacrifice fly to left which scored Young to tie the game.

From that point forward, both Sale and Verlander settled in, combining for scoreless frames in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Both teams’ bats regained their potency in the sixth inning.

Red Sox left fielder Rajai Davis led off the top of the sixth with a single to right, and second baseman Brock Holt walked. It looked like Verlander might have satiated the threat by inducing a double-play ball from Boston designated hitter Christian Vázquez, but a wild pitch by Verlander allowed Davis to score from third standing up. After Devers singled and stole second to create another threat, Verlander struck Young out to limit the damage.

The Red Sox’s 2-1 lead was short-lived. After White struck out to start the home sixth and González lined out to right, third baseman J.D. Davis tied the game on a home run to left. That would be the end of the night for both Sale and Verlander.

After Astros reliever Chris Devenski struck out the side in the top of the seventh, Boston’s David Price wouldn’t prove to be as effective in the bottom of the seventh.

Fisher grounded to center for a single and was followed by Altuve singling to left. Kemp then beat out the throw on a bunt attempt to load the bases with no outs. Gurriel then hit a fly ball to left, but it wasn’t deep enough to score Fisher. Beltrán’s fly ball to center, however, was deep enough to allow Fisher to score.

McCullers worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, which was replicated by Price. Things wouldn’t go as smoothly for Giles, however.

After striking out Devers to start the top of the ninth and getting Young to fly out to White, Bradley Jr. singled to put the game’s tying run aboard. Pinch-hitter Mookie Betts put that run in scoring position with a single of his own, and Dustin Pedroia took the plate as a pinch hitter with the tying run 180 feet away. Giles was able to get him to ground out to Altuve, however.

Devenski got the win and Price took the loss, with McCullers earning a hold and Giles a save. Sale went six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts. Verlander’s final line was six innings, two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.

Kemp led Houston at the plate, going 2-for-3. Devers’ 2-for-4 night paced Boston.

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With the win, the Astros now sit two more victories away from advancing to face the winner of the Cleveland vs. New York ALDS in the MLB The Show 17 ALCS.