Wild stats from Astros' 7-run 9th in Game 4
Sarah Langs
@SlangsOnSportsGame 4 of the 2021 ALCS was tied, 2-2, entering the top of the ninth inning on Tuesday night ... but things quickly changed, and by the time the half-inning was done, the Astros had pulled ahead of the Red Sox, 9-2, before shutting the door on Boston in the bottom half to tie the series at two games apiece.
A seven-run ninth inning spurs just a few fun facts and figures, as you might imagine. Here are seven incredible stats from the Astros¡¯ ninth-inning rally that stunned the Fenway Park faithful and knotted up the ALCS.
? The seven runs the Astros scored were their most in a postseason inning in franchise history. The prior franchise record had been six runs, in the eighth inning of ALDS Game 3 in 2018 against the Indians.
? Seven runs also tied the record for a postseason inning in the ninth or later. It had been done five prior times: by Cleveland in 2007 ALCS Game 2 (11th inning), the Marlins in 1997 World Series Game 3 (9th), the A¡¯s in 1990 ALCS Game 1 (9th), the Orioles in 1970 ALCS Game 2 (9th) and the Yankees in 1936 World Series Game 6 (9th).
? But it wasn¡¯t just seven runs. It was seven runs, all with two outs. It was enough of an outburst to wind up tied for the second-most runs with two outs in a postseason inning, behind only the Dodgers' 10 such runs in the first inning of 2020 NLCS Game 3 against Atlanta. No team had ever scored more than four runs with two outs in a postseason inning in the ninth or later before the Astros.
? Of course, two-out runs weren¡¯t a new phenomenon for the 2021 Astros this October. They¡¯re up to 36 of them, in fact, the most by any team through eight games in a single postseason. They¡¯re already tied for the ninth-most two-out runs in a single postseason, behind the 2020 Dodgers (59), 2004 Red Sox (46), 1997 Indians (46), 2018 Red Sox (45), 2002 Giants (45), 1996 Braves (39), 2019 Nationals (37) and 2011 Cardinals (37).
? Carlos Correa got the inning started with a double off Nathan Eovaldi. That was Correa¡¯s 33rd career extra-base hit in the postseason, breaking a tie with Derek Jeter for the most postseason extra-base hits before turning 30. Correa is 27.
? The Astros have now scored at least five runs in seven of their eight games this postseason. That¡¯s tied for the most games with five or more runs through eight games in a single postseason, with the 2004 Red Sox, 1995 Braves, 1987 Twins and 1970 Orioles.
? Earlier in the game, after Zack Greinke lasted just 1 1/3 innings in his start, the Astros set a record for fewest outs recorded by starting pitchers in the first four games of a series (including only teams to play at least four games in a series), with just 20. The prior fewest had been 30, by the Padres in the 1984 World Series. But as the Astros proved with the ninth inning -- sometimes, it¡¯s not how you start, it¡¯s how you finish.