The Boston Red Sox wasted little time jumping ahead of the Houston Astros in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday. Rather, the Red Sox built a comfy lead on the strength of a historic a pair of grand slams: first by J.D. Martinez in the first inning, and then by Rafael Devers in the second frame. (Follow along here for live updates.)
The Red Sox are the first team in MLB history to launch multiple grand slams in a single postseason game.
The Red Sox took advantage of Astros starter Luis Garcia’s wildness and platoon issues. Kyle Schwarber doubled to start things off and then Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo subsequently drew walks. Martinez, though a right-handed batter, took a pitch before launching this opposite-field blast:
According to Statcast, Martinez’s batted ball left the bat traveling at 106 mph and carried some 363 feet. During the regular season, Martinez batted .286/.349/.518 (126 OPS+) with 28 home runs and 99 runs batted in. Of those 28 home runs, 12 exited stage right, including three that traveled more than 400 feet.
Martinez’s grand slam was the first hit by a Red Sox hitter in a playoff game since Jackie Bradley Jr. launched one back in 2018. The Red Sox, of course, won that series. Prior to Bradley Jr.’s grand slam, the Red Sox had not hit one in the playoffs since 2013, when both David Ortiz and Shane Victorino recorded one in their ALCS vs. the Detroit Tigers.
Devers’ grand slam, meanwhile, was hit off Jake Odorizzi, who replaced Garcia when he left the game because of an injury. Devers’ home run traveled 357 feet and had an exit velocity of 100.9 mph.
The Red Sox entered Saturday trailing the Astros 1- 0 in the best-of-seven series. The first to four wins will advance to the 2021 World Series, where they’ll play the winner of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. That series, it should be noted, will get started on Saturday night.
