Houston in desperate need of a win
ALCS Game 3 Preview: Rays vs. Astros
Oct 13, 2020, 8:35 am
Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Astros Jose Urquidy
It's (practically speaking) now or never for the Astros. After dropping Games 1 and 2, Houston faces a potential 3-0 deficit should they lose ALCS Game 3 on Tuesday night, a point in a seven-game series that, even in baseball, is just about impossible to come back from and win.
Houston does have some good points of their game to consider, along with some bad luck and small yet costly mental errors to avoid to turn this series around. Here are some facts and storylines for Game 3:
Game Facts
When: Tuesday, October 13th, 7:40 PM Central.
Where: Petco Park - San Diego, California.
TV: TBS.
Streaming: Watch TBS App.
Pitching Matchup: Ryan Yarbrough vs. Jose Urquidy.
Series: TB leads 2-0.
Series Schedule
| Date & Time (Central) | Pitching Matchup | Home Team | |
| Game 1 | Final: Rays 2, Astros 1 | Framber Valdez (L) vs. Blake Snell (W) | Rays |
| Game 2 | Final: Rays 4, Astros 2 | Lance McCullers Jr. (L) vs. Charlie Morton (W) | Rays |
| Game 3 | Tue 10/13, TBD | Ryan Yarbrough vs. Jose Urquidy | Astros |
| Game 4 | Wed 10/14, TBD | Tyler Glasnow vs. TBD | Astros |
| Game 5* | Thu 10/15, TBD | TBD vs. TBD | Astros |
| Game 6* | Fri 10/16, TBD | TBD vs. TBD | Rays |
| Game 7* | Sat 10/17, TBD | TBD vs. TBD | Rays |
All games played at Petco Park.
* If necessary
Game Storylines
The smallest changes can have the biggest impacts
The Astros can use any excuse to treat this like a new series and shrug off the first two games. The ultimate way to do that would be winning the next two games and making it a fresh, best-of-three over the last three games. Until then, they can at least take the change of outlook by batting second in Game 3 as they play the home team.
That allows them the opportunity to build some confidence on the field behind Jose Urquidy before they step into the box. That confidence could be the difference between their hard-luck outs so far in this series and putting some runs on the board, something they'll need to do early on Tuesday. Houston must improve with runners in scoring position, where they currently sit 3-for-16. If they can cash in on a few of those chances when they come up, Game 3 will look vastly different from the prior two.
Keep fighting the pitching battle
With the three-run home run allowed by Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 2 coming after an error, those runs would go down as unearned. He allowed just one earned run over his seven impressive innings, following Game 1 starter Framber Valdez, who allowed two earned runs over six. Combine the two, and they've gone 13 innings of three-run baseball, with three innings of scoreless bullpen work after them to finish both games.
On the other side, the Rays have just ten innings out of their starters and already eight from their relievers. That gives the Astros, at least in terms of rest, a bullpen advantage in Game 3 and potentially beyond. If they can chase Tampa Bay's starter out at five innings or less once again, ideally with runs already on the board, the Astros will be in a position to stress the Rays' bullpen further, which could be a pivotal component to the final games of the series.
Be sure to check SportsMap after the final out for an in-depth recap of the game, and follow me on Twitter for updates and reactions throughout each playoff game: @ChrisCampise
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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