SAN FRANCISCO - Logan Webb struck out 10 batters while pitching masterfully in his postseason debut, Buster Posey hit a two-run homer that held up, and the San Francisco Giants blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 Friday night in the opener of their National League Division Series.
Those two Giants standouts summed up this year perfectly for the NL West Division champions who won 107 games in the regular season: A brilliant performance by the young right-hander supported by a veteran catcher who has shined on this big October stage so many times before.
Kris Bryant and Brandon Crawford also homered to back a combined five-hitter by Webb and a pair of relievers.
The Dodgers, the reigning World Series champions whose 106 wins weren't good enough to win the West this year, will try to even the series with their rivals when they send 20-game winner Julio Urías to the mound for Game 2 on Saturday night opposite All-Star right-hander Kevin Gausman.
Tyler Rogers relieved for the final out in the eighth and Camilo Doval worked the ninth.
Red Sox 14, Rays 6
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.- J.D. Martinez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in his return to the lineup, and the Boston Red Sox backed Tanner Houck's clutch relief pitching with five home runs - a franchise postseason record - to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and even their American League Division Series at a game each.
Kiké Hernandez had five of Boston's 20 hits, including a homer and three doubles, becoming the franchise's first player with four extra-base hits in a postseason game.
Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo and Rafael Devers also connected for the Red Sox, who rallied for a blowout win after ace Chris Sale allowed a first-inning grand slam to Jordan Luplow and was pulled after just three outs.
Hernández's leadoff homer in the fifth off Collin McHugh tied it before Martinez went deep against Matt Wisler four batters later.
Houck kept Boston in the game after Sale was rocked for five runs in the first inning. The rookie right-hander came out of the bullpen to start the second inning and allowed one run and two hits in five innings, retiring the first 11 batters he faced before yielding a two-out single to Wander Franco in the fifth.
Astros 9, White Sox 4
HOUSTON - Carlos Correa hit a two-run double during a five-run seventh inning as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox for a 2-0 lead in their ALDS.
Kyle Tucker homered and drove in three runs as the Astros moved within one win of their fifth straight appearance in the AL Championship Series. Alex Bregman had two hits and scored twice, and Jose Altuve made a couple of big plays in the field. Game 3 of the best-of-five series is Sunday night in Chicago.
The Astros grabbed the lead for good on Yordan Alvarez's tiebreaking RBI single off Aaron Bummer with one out in the seventh. Craig Kimbrel then took over and retired Yuli Gurriel before Correa's drive to right sailed just past a sprinting Leury García.
White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito permitted four runs and three hits in 4 1/3 innings. He tied a season high with five walks in his second career playoff start.