Trying to force a return to Houston for Game 5, the Red Sox sent 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello to the mound to try and stifle the Astros offense while Charlie Morton was tasked with helping the Astros advance. The Astros struck first when George Springer scored on José Altuve's double play in the first. The Red Sox promptly responded with Xander Bogaerts's home run in the bottom of the frame. Springer reclaimed the lead for the Astros with an RBI single in the top of the second while Morton was able to escape a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the inning. Chris Sale was brought in for relief in the fourth and tossed four scoreless innings. In response, the Astros brought in Justin Verlander in the fifth to shut down the Sox, but not before Andrew Benintendi launched a 2-run homer to grab a 3–2 lead. Those would be the only runs Verlander gave up in his 2 innings of work. Alex Bregman rocked a game-tying shot in the top of the eighth off Sale, his second of the series. After giving up another hit, Sale's day was done. Craig Kimbrel was brought in and gave up a walk before Josh Reddick gave the Astros the lead on a two-out single to make it 4–3. Carlos Beltrán added an RBI double in the top of the ninth for an insurance run. Ken Giles, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning, gave up a leadoff inside-the-park home run to Rafael Devers in the bottom of the ninth. He then retired the side to send the Astros to their first American League Championship Series and their first postseason series win since 2005. The Red Sox were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the second year in a row, having been swept by the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 American League Division Series. This was the first postseason series victory for the Astros since the 2005 National League Championship Series.