In the first round of the postseason, the Astros blew past the A.L. Central champion Chicago White Sox, dropping just one game and outscoring their opponent by 31-18.
In the A.L.C.S., where the Astros were making their fifth straight trip, the Red Sox put up more of a fight. Not only did they possess more experience than the White Sox, they also had one of the best offenses in baseball, which threatened the Astros’ pitching staff.
The Astros trailed in the series, two games to one, before rattling off three straight victories. They scored nine runs in Game 4 and again in Game 5 in Boston.
Back in Houston for Game 6, the winning formula was different. The Astros held a 2-0 lead through seven innings — both of which featured the slugger Yordan Alvarez — and then tacked on three more on a home run by Kyle Tucker in the eighth. That was more than enough for a pitching crew led by starter Luis Garcia, who allowed just one hit over five and two-thirds scoreless innings.