Duration: 9:54

14 views

0

The Red Sox are in the ALCS, as they travel southwest to Houston, TX, at Minute Maid Park to face their fiercest West league rivals, the Astros.

These two teams have met three times in the playoffs. They met in the American League Division Series (ALDS) in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. These matchups intensified the rivalry between the two teams as they vied for a spot in the ALCS and the chance to compete for a World Series title.

Their 2017 ALDS encounter brought significant controversy to the rivalry. The Astros were accused of using technology to steal signs from opposing teams, including the Red Sox, during their championship-winning campaign. This sign-stealing scandal caused a rift between the two teams and added an extra layer of tension to their matchups in subsequent years.

In the 2018 ALCS, the Red Sox and Astros faced off in a high-stakes battle for a spot in the World Series. In Game 3 of the series, the Red Sox’s outfielder, Jackie Bradley Jr., delivered an iconic moment when he hit a dramatic grand slam in the eighth inning.

The grand slam turned the tide of the game and propelled the Red Sox to victory, shifting the momentum in their favor and earning Bradley Jr. the ALCS MVP honors, achieving redemption. Then, in the 2021 ALCS, the Astros would prevail, leading their Postseason rivalry, 2-1. This will be the 4th encounter between the two teams.