Despite their best efforts, the Boston Red Sox went down fighting to the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the ALCS yesterday. Although they couldn’t snatch a victory away from home, they took heart from the performance of Enrique “Kike” Hernandez.

The 30-year-old moved to the Red Sox after clinching the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. However, he won the hearts of Boston with his performance yesterday as he brought them close to beating the Astros in the Minute Maid Park.

Enrique “Kike” Hernandez steals the show in Game 1 of the ALCS

Throughout yesterday’s game, the Puerto Rican delivered across the board. From making crucial plays on the field to smashing runs, Kike left everything on the field, putting on a show which was nothing short of spectacular in the process.

His highlight reel began from the bottom of the second inning. With all bases loaded for the Astros, Hernandez took a stunning diving catch in center field to dismiss Michael Brantley. This play ended the second inning, with Hernandez preventing the Astros from building on their 1-0 lead.

He then smashed a 77mph pitch from Framber Valdez straight into the stands to score a solo home run in the top of the third inning. This tied the game 1-1, with the Red Sox adding two more runs in the inning to go up 3-1. Hernandez’s hit even left Astros manager Dusty Baker stunned, whose reaction featured on the screen alongside the action at that moment.

The Puerto Rican then produced a double in the fourth inning which took him to a stunning 3-3 in the game. He came close to completing a cycle in the game, needing just a triple to achieve the feat. Although he didn’t get that triple, it displayed his hitting consistency on the night.

Kike then produced a catch to end the fifth inning. Despite looking out-of-position, he held on to the ball to keep the Astros two runs behind.

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Although the Astros forged ahead, Hernandez kept the Red Sox in the hunt in the bottom of the ninth inning. The 30-year-old produced another home run to bring them within one of the Astros.

Can the Boston Red Sox tie the series later today?

The 2018 World Series champions will look to bounce back later today, with Game 2 taking place in the Minute Maid Park.

Despite losing yesterday’s game, the 5-4 scoreline depicted just how close they came to winning. And with the series moving to Boston after today’s game, the Red Sox will hope to head there with the series tied.

READ MORE: “I Looked at the Roster and Knew”: Kike Hernandez Claims He Was Confident Boston Red Sox Would Win MLB Playoffs