Major League Baseball

MLB Playoffs Top Plays: Astros defeat Red Sox, advance to the World Series

Updated Oct. 23, 2021 12:27 a.m. ET

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The Houston Astros have punched their ticket to the World Series.

After falling behind 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, they rallied back with three straight wins to advance to their third World Series in five years. Back in Houston for Game 6 on Friday, they shut down the Red Sox for a 5-0 win to clinch the AL pennant.

To no one's surprise, Yordan Alvarez was named the ALCS MVP after batting .522 in the six-game series.

The Astros will meet the winners of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Braves on Tuesday in Game 1 of the World Series.

Here are the highlights from Friday:

Houston Astros 5, Boston Red Sox 0

The constant

Alvarez was on fire in this ALCS, with eight hits and five RBIs in the first five games. He continued to have the hot hand in Game 6, bringing in a run with an RBI double in the first inning.

Magic act

With runners on second and third with nobody out, the Astros were threatening to add multiple runs in the bottom of the fourth.

But Nathan Eovaldi was able to escape the inning without allowing any runs, recording three strikeouts to keep the Red Sox within one.

Dominant performance

Astros rookie pitcher Luis Garcia delivered a gem for the home team in Game 6, pitching 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts while not allowing a run. He gave up just one hit, to the final batter he faced.

One more

The Astros got an insurance run in the sixth inning, thanks to some heads-up baserunning from Alvarez.

Preservation

The Red Sox were threatening to cut into the Astros' lead in the top of the seventh, with runners on first and third and just one out.

But Astros pitcher Kendall Graveman made it out of the inning with a double play of a strikeout combined with Alex Verdugo being thrown out at second on a stolen base attempt.

Exclamation point

In the bottom of the eighth, Kyle Tucker put his stamp on Game 6 with a three-run home run to give the Astros a 5-0 lead.

That was the finishing touch on a 5-0 win for the Astros, who are headed to their third World Series in the past five seasons.

Pop the champagne!

With the pennant clinched, the Astros were in a celebratory mood Friday night.

Alvarez was named MVP after batting 12-for-23 in the series, and Houston manager Dusty Baker, now 72, pushed all the right buttons to make a return to the World Series after nearly 20 years.

On to the Fall Classic!

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Major League Baseball

Boston Red Sox

Houston Astros

MLB - Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros - 10/23/2021

Jose Altuve

Yordan Alvarez

Nathan Eovaldi

Chas McCormick

Luis Garcia

Kendall Graveman

Alex Verdugo