Red Sox book trip to World Series with 4-1 series win over Astros

The best team in Boston Red Sox history is now officially the best team in the American League.

The Red Sox are returning to the World Series for the first time since 2013, as they beat the Houston Astros 4-1 on Thursday to win their 14th AL pennant and eliminate the defending champions in five games.

David Price, Boston's beleaguered star left-hander, led the way for the Sox, as he tossed six shutout innings on three days' rest to earn his first postseason win as a starting pitcher. After Nathan Eovaldi came out of the bullpen in the seventh and stopped an Astros rally with a brilliant relief display, closer Craig Kimbrel finished the series by tossing a near-flawless ninth inning.

Third baseman Rafael Devers launched what turned out to be the series-winning homer in the sixth inning, a three-run shot off Astros ace Justin Verlander. J.D. Martinez also helped Boston's cause with a solo shot in the second, which snapped Verlander's record streak of 26 straight scoreless innings in elimination games.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Thursday, became the third rookie skipper to lead his team to a pennant since baseball first expanded in 1961, according to MLB Stat of the Day. Cora is also the first Puerto Rican manager to win a pennant in baseball history.

Not only did the Red Sox win a major-league best 108 games in the regular season to eclipse a franchise record that had stood since 1912, but they then marched through the AL playoffs with relative ease. Before eliminating the Astros, the Red Sox dispatched with another 100-win club, the New York Yankees, in four games during the Division Series.

Houston, meanwhile, saw its quest to repeat as World Series champions come to an early end despite having won a franchise-record 103 games during the regular season. After thumping the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series and then winning Game 1 in Boston, A.J. Hinch's club was outscored 28-14 over the final four games of the ALCS.

"The American League is really proud Boston is going to well-represent the American League (in the World Series)," Hinch said after the game, according to MLB.com's Alyson Footer. "I want that on the record."

Boston will now rest up and await its National League opponent in the Fall Classic, which will be either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers currently lead the NLCS three games to two and can punch their ticket to the World Series as early as Friday.

Game 1 of the World Series gets underway Tuesday at Fenway Park. Earlier Thursday, Cora announced that left-hander Chris Sale will start that contest regardless of who the Red Sox play.