For the second time of the 2018 Major League Baseball Postseason, the Boston Red Sox have routed a 100+ win team to advance to the next round of play. After crushing the 100-win New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, Boston made quick work of the 103 games winning Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. Following the Red Sox’ 4-1 victory over Houston, they had officially punched their ticket to the World Series with a four-game-to-one win in the best-of-seven series.

The series started on much better terms for the Houston Astros when they routed the Red Sox 7-2 in Boston behind a stellar start from ace Justin Verlander (6 innings pitched, 2 hits, 2 earned runs) and home runs from Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick. The Astros would then fall to the Red Sox in a nail-biter 7-5 before heading to Houston. With the Astros playing at home for the next three games, with the series tied at a game apiece, the Astros looked like the clear favorites. They were not.

Game three was a massacre and after keeping it relatively close at 2-4 until in the 8th inning, Roberto Osuna game up a shot with the bases loaded to future ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr. The Sox would then cruise to an 8-2 victory. Game four did not go much better for Houston and they lost 8-6. The Astros had a chance to tie up the game after Alex Bregman hit a would-be game-tying single to left field in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded…Enter Andrew Benintendi…

Game five would be rather uneventful with the Sox taking an early 1-0 lead and the game getting cracked wide open by Rafael Devers in the top of the sixth on a three-run home run to left. The Astros would score one more in the ninth but would fall to the Red Sox and sealing their fate. Justin Verlander took the loss while David Price recorded his first Postseason win (improving his Postseason career win-loss record to 1-9). Alex Cora became just the third rookie manager to ever win their league’s pennant. Jackie Bradley Jr. was crowned American League Championship Series MVP after racking up 9 RBI in the series.

The Red Sox will now face the winner of the National League Championship Series in the World Series. Whether that team ends up being the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Milwaukee Brewers, the Red Sox will be ready.

Because Houston did not advance, this concludes Doubleday Double Talk’s predictions updates as Daryll’s final pick is now out of the playoffs. The final score for this year’s postseason is as follows…

Daryll Dorman – 4

Giuseppe Vitulli – 4