BOSTON -- A home run to remember wound up being overshadowed by a game to forget.
Astros right fielder George Springer continued his impressive homecoming by hitting a second-inning grand slam off Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz to give his team a three-run lead Saturday, but those wound up being the final runs Houston scored in a crushing 6-5 loss at Fenway Park.
Grand slams mean 40% off pizza
Springer, who grew up a Red Sox fan in New Britain, Conn., has gone 6-for-15 with two homers and eight RBIs in the first three games of the series at Fenway Park. He hit a go-ahead two-run homer Friday and has posted four RBIs in consecutive games.
"Just hit the ball hard," Springer said. "I'm not really trying to do anything special. Just hit the ball hard and try to get that guy in from third."
Springer, who also hit a grand slam April 6 at Yankee Stadium, is the first Astros player to have at least four RBIs in consecutive games since Carlos Lee in 2011, and the second since Lance Berkman in 2000. He's the only American League player to drive in four or more runs in consecutive games this year.
"We have a dynamic offense when we stay grounded and we stay within ourselves," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We can do a few things. We haven't gotten untracked as an entire offense, but those guys at the top have being doing their jobs pretty routinely the whole year."
Springer went hitless in his next four at-bats, though, including a double play in the seventh after Jose Altuve led off the inning with an infield hit. Springer also hit into a double play in the first inning after Altuve led off the game with a single.
"I had some opportunities in the latter half of the game to drive somebody in," Springer said. "I would much rather win. I don't care how we do it. I prefer to win."
Springer was injured in his first two years in the Majors when the Astros came to Boston. He had a strained quad in 2014, and last year broke his wrist in the game prior to the Astros coming to Boston.