Houston’s Chas McCormick, left, and Mauricio Dubon, right, try to get their gloves on a ball hit by Boston’s Alex Verdugo in the fourth inning Monday , in Boston. Steven Senne/Associated Press

BOSTON — Trevor Story homered to tie the game in the seventh inning and Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run shot in the eighth to propel the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.

Houston starter Jake Odorizzi left on a stretcher in the fifth inning with a leg injury in the teams’ first matchup since the Astros won last year’s AL Championship Series.

J.D. Martinez and Kiké Hernandez had two hits apiece for Boston, which has won three of four. Matt Strahm (2-1), the fifth Red Sox pitcher, got five outs, striking out three and allowing one hit for the win. Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his second save.

Chas McCormick hit a home run and a double for Houston, which has lost two of three since winning 11 in a row to go from .500 to the top of the AL West. Hector Neris (1-2) gave up three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one in the eighth.

The Red Sox twice took one-run leads only to see the Astros tie it. Houston went ahead 3-2 on Jose Altuve’s single through a drawn-in infield in the seventh, but Story tied it on his first home at Fenway Park since signing with the Red Sox this spring.

In the eighth, Hernandez and Martinez doubled to break the tie and then Bogaerts cleared the Green Monster to make it 6-3.

Houston starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi is taken out for he game on a stretcher after being injured as he was running to cover first base during the fifth inning against the Red Sox on Monday in Boston. Matt Stone/Boston Herald

Odorizzi appeared to twist his left leg awkwardly on the delivery to Kiké Hernandez. When he turned to cover first base, he took a step and then sprawled out, face down, on the grass.

He remained there after the out was recorded, and Astros staff rushed to tend to him. He was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled off. The team said later that he had “left lower leg discomfort.”

Odorizzi was 3-2 with a 3.13 ERA this season. The Red Sox led 2-1 when he left the game. He held Boston hitless through three before Hernandez led off the fourth with a single. Martinez singled with one out, Bogaerts walked to load the bases, then Verdugo blooped one into center to score a run; Martinez held up to see if the ball dropped and was forced at third.

That was the first run Odorizzi had allowed since the second inning of a six-inning start on April 26 — a span of 19 1/3 innings.

Houston tied it in the fifth on McCormick’s homer. The Red Sox made it 2-1 in the bottom half when Franchy Cordero banged one off the Green Monster for a double, took third on a groundout and then scored on a passed ball.

But the Astros tied it again when Michael Brantley doubled to lead off the sixth, took third after a pair of walks and scored on a sacrifice fly. Altuve singled to give the Astros their first lead of the game in the seventh.

This time, Boston came back to tie it, on Story’s homer.

NOTES

THE RAIN came down so quickly and heavily in the sixth inning that the grounds crew had trouble pulling the heavy tarp over the infield. Smaller tarps were brought out to cover the spots around home plate and down the third-base line that were left exposed. The game resumed after a delay of 98 minutes with the score tied 2-2.

LEFT-HANDER Chris Sale has resumed playing catch in Fort Myers, Florida, Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said Monday. Sale had been shut down from throwing due to a “small personal medical issue” that the team has not detailed further.

“He started playing catch,” Cora said. “From where we were a few weeks ago to that, that’s a big step.”

Sale is recovering from a stress fracture in his right rib cage that he suffered throwing a pitch during a private workout in late February. He had progressed to the point where he was throwing short bullpens in late April before experiencing the setback.
It’s unclear when Sale will ramp back up to the point where he can throw off a mound again. Once he does that, it will likely be multiple weeks before he can return to game action at any level. A return before late June is unlikely at this point.

MICHAEL WACHA (left intercostal irritation) threw a two-inning, 35-pitch bullpen Monday afternoon before the game. He is tentatively slated to come off the 15-day injured list when he’s eligible Friday barring any setbacks.

“Let’s see how he feels after that and how he reacts tomorrow,” Cora said. “Then we’ll make a decision.”

Wacha has been one of Boston’s best pitchers this season, posting a 3-0 record and 1.38 ERA in five starts. He last pitched May 3 against the Angels then was scratched from his next start five days later.

LEFTY PITCHERS James Paxton (Tommy John surgery) and Josh Taylor (low back strain) are both still shut down from throwing, Cora said. Taylor is with the team in Boston while Paxton remains in Fort Myers.

Both pitchers experienced recent setbacks that halted their recoveries. Taylor made three rehab outings before feeling back discomfort and being shut down; Paxton was throwing bullpens at Fenway South before his progress was stopped by posterior elbow soreness.