The Boston Red Sox advanced to the World Series on Thursday after defeating the defending champion Houston Astros 4-1 to clinch the American League pennant.
David Price shut out Houston on the mound, while the Boston offence delivered a pair of homers as the Red Sox locked up a berth in the World Series for the first time since 2013.
Rafael Devers clubbed a three-run homer in the sixth and JD Martinez hit a towering solo shot in the third inning for Boston, who took the American League Championship Series by four games to one.
The Red Sox will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball's championship showcase. The Dodgers lead that series 3-2 with game six set for Friday in Milwaukee.
The Red Sox are back in the Fall Classic for the first time in five years when they beat the St Louis Cardinals in six games.
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Red Sox left hander Price threw six solid innings on Thursday allowing just three hits in shutting out the Astros to earn his first victory in his 12th postseason appearance.
Martinez opened the scoring with a 396-foot blast to left field for his second home run of the postseason in front of a crowd of 40,000 at Minute Maid Park. Devers also hit a homer to left which scored Mitch Moreland and Ian Kinsler.
Moreland got on base with a double to deep left field and Kinsler hit a single to right which moved Moreland over to third base.
Facing elimination, the Astros turned to their ace Justin Verlander. Verlander had a solid performance in a game one win but struggled to contain the Red Sox potent offense on Thursday.
Verlander allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings of work.