page_title: 2018 American League Championship Series
section_title: Game 2
hierarchical_section_title: 2018 American League Championship Series / Game summaries / Game 2
caption_attribution_description: Red Sox at Orioles 9/20/17
context_page_description: The 2018 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven series pitting the defending World Series champion Houston Astros against the Boston Red Sox, for the American League pennant and the right to play in the 2018 World Series. The series was played in a 2-3-2 format, with the first two and last two games played at the home ballpark of the higher seeded team. The series was the 49th in league history, with TBS televising all games in the United States. The Red Sox defeated the Astros, in five games.
  For the second year in a row, Major League Baseball sold presenting sponsorships to all of its postseason series; as with the NLCS, this ALCS was sponsored by Google Assistant and was officially known as the American League Championship Series presented by Google Assistant.
  The Red Sox would go on to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in five games to win their ninth World Series championship.
context_section_description: Jonny Gomes, a member of the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox, threw the ceremonial first pitch. Mookie Betts doubled off Gerrit Cole and Andrew Benintendi singled him home to open the scoring for the Red Sox. Xander Bogaerts reached second on Cole's throwing error with one out in the first, then Rafael Devers singled home Benintendi for a 2–0 lead. Starting pitcher David Price allowed the Astros to get on the board in the second as Carlos Correa hit an infield single and Martín Maldonado doubled, with George Springer doubling them both home to tie it. An inning later, Yuli Gurriel singled and an out later, Marwin González homered over the Green Monster for a 4–2 lead. But the Red Sox struck back in the bottom of the inning. Bogaerts singled, Steve Pearce doubled and Devers walked to load the bases. One out later, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a bases-clearing double to give the Red Sox a 5–4 lead, which they would never relinquish. Price would fall an out shy of being credited the victory, allowing four runs, five hits, and four walks. Matt Barnes relieved him in the fifth with two outs and retired the next four batters for the victory. In the seventh, after Betts walked, Lance McCullers Jr. threw a wild pitch, advancing Betts to second, then to third on a Maldonado passed ball. One out later, another Maldonado passed ball scored Betts to make it 6–4. The next inning saw Devers single to center; two outs later, Mitch Moreland singled, and A.J. Hinch immediately sent out Héctor Rondón to face Betts, who doubled to center, scoring Devers to extend their lead to three runs. Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth, allowing a two-out double by Springer and a José Altuve RBI single to bring the Astros to within 7–5. Kimbrel then retired Alex Bregman, who flew out to Benintendi to end the game, earning his third save this postseason, and tying the series at one all.
caption: A three-RBI double by Jackie Bradley Jr. gave the Red Sox a 5–4 lead in Game 2.
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