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 "Oh man, the big guy. He put a charge in that one," Houston
manager Bo Porter said after Altuve, the diminutive second baseman
with the big bat, hit a grand slam, one of his four hits, to lead
Houston to an 8-1 win and a split of the four-game series.
"Every time we have situational hitting and we let them pick their
situation, Altuve always ... (says) 'bases loaded, bases loaded,'"
Porter said. "He got bases loaded today and put a real good swing on
it."
Altuve smiled when told what his manager said, admitting, "Every
time we go to situational hitting in BP, I say 'bases loaded.'"
His loud hit, which came after a controversial overturning of what
had been an inning-ending call, capped a six-run rally that led
Houston to its 52nd win of the season, one more than the Astros had
all last year. It was also Houston's second win in 11 all-time games
at Fenway Park.
Altuve, who leads the major leagues with 173 hits and in multi-hit
games with 53, also had three singles and finished the game hitting
.339. The slam was his first, the homer his sixth of the season.
"I felt really happy," Altuve said. "It was my first grand slam and
we took a big lead early in the game. Now we're going to come back
(Tuesday) and try to do the same with the Yankees."
 The homer came after a call at second base was overturned in
Houston's favor, extending the inning. Red Sox manager John Farrell
was ejected after the home run, for still arguing the previous call.
The Astros, getting help when left fielder Yoenis Cespedes lost a
fly ball off the bat, already had two runs home in the second when
shortstop Marwin Gonzalez grounded one off losing pitcher Joe Kelly
to shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts, who aided Houston's Friday
night win by trying for a force at second instead of throwing to
first, stepped on second and threw to first for what appeared to be
an inning-inning double play.
The Red Sox left the field, but Porter, urged by third base coach
Pat Listach, came out and said Bogaerts threw the ball before his
foot came down on the base. He was clearly correct and the call was
overturned -- after some doubt about its reviewability. Right
fielder Robbie Grossman then walked and Altuve connected.
Farrell said the call wasn't reviewable because it qualified under
the new "neighborhood" transfer rule, put in to protect middle
infielder.
"The first explanation I got completely contradicts what took place,
which says that this is not reviewable," said Farrell, who admitted
"I went too far with my reaction."
Porter met with the umps, who then went to the headsets to find out
if the neighborhood play was the call. The play didn't fall under
the transfer rule that because it was a matter of Bogaerts stepping
on the base. First base ump Doug Eddings tossed Farrell.
"I explained to Bo that I was going to ask New York, the replay
center, if it was in fact reviewable because a neighborhood play is
not," crew chief Jim Joyce told a pool reporter. "New York came back
to me and said, 'Yes, that play is reviewable.'"
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Center fielder Dexter Fowler (his seventh) and first baseman Jon Singleton
(No. 11) also homered in support of right-hander Collin McHugh, who
struggled through six innings to raise his record to 6-9.
"It was kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde today," said McHugh, who turned
in his fourth straight one-run performance. "Some innings I felt really
great, some innings I was really struggling command wise -- especially
with the fastball."
Kelly, making his first Fenway start after two no-decisions on the road
since being traded to Boston, was shelled for all seven runs on seven
hits in four innings. He walked six in falling to 2-3 overall on the
season.
"It was one of those games -- I wasn't very good today," Kelly said.
Down 7-0, Boston right fielder Daniel Nava doubled home a run in the
bottom of the third, but was caught rounding second base, which really
hurt when a walk and single followed.
Kelly has walked 13 batters in 17 innings with Boston and hasn't won in
his last five starts, with the Cardinals and Red Sox.
NOTES: Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, who has been on fire at the plate,
missed Sunday's game, on his 31st birthday, with flu-like symptoms. He
had hit three homers on his previous seven big-league birthdays. ... LHP
Brett Oberholtzer opens the Astros' three-game series against the
Yankees in New York on Tuesday night, while RHP Brandon Workman hopes to
end a six-game losing streak (five starts) when he opens Boston's
four-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels. Workman's last
outing was in relief in the 19th inning of the Aug. 9 game in Anaheim,
and he gave up a home run to Albert Pujols, the only batter he faced.
... The Red Sox recalled RHP Steven Wright from Triple-A Pawtucket and
designated OF Corey Brown for assignment. Wright worked four innings
(one run) Sunday. ... Sunday was Connecticut Day at Fenway Park. ...
Actor Matthew McConaughey, a Texas native, was seated near the Astros'
dugout.
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