Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Astros Lance McCullers Jr.
It all comes down to this. The Astros have erased a 3-0 deficit and tied the series with their 7-4 win over the Rays in ALCS Game 6. It sets up the best phrase in sports: Game 7. They've made it this far; now they just need to take the final step to make it to their third World Series in the last four years. Here's how the game shapes up:
Game Facts
When: Sautrday, October 17th, 7:37 PM Central.
Where: Petco Park - San Diego, California.
TV: TBS.
Streaming: Watch TBS App.
Pitching Matchup: Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Charlie Morton.
Series: tied 3-3.
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 | Final: Rays 5, Astros 2 | Ryan Yarbrough (W) vs. Jose Urquidy (L) | Astros |
| Game 4 | Final: Astros 4, Rays 3 | Tyler Glasnow (L) vs. Zack Greinke (W) | Astros |
| Game 5 | Final: Astros 4, Rays 3 | John Curtiss (ND) vs Luis Garcia (ND) | Astros |
| Game 6 | Final: Astros 7, Rays 4 | Framber Valdez (W) vs. Blake Snell (L) | Rays |
| Game 7 | Sat 10/17, 7:37 PM | Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Charlie Morton | Rays |
All games played at Petco Park.
Game Storylines
All hands on deck
There's probably only one arm that is genuinely unavailable today, and that's Framber Valdez, who started Game 6 and went six innings. Everyone else, including Ryan Pressly, who has closed out three straight games, maybe even Zack Greinke, should be out in the bullpen ready to contribute in this decisive game.
But first, it'll come down to how Lance McCullers Jr. does. He was flat-out terrific in his Game 2 start, allowing just one earned run while striking out eleven over seven full innings (though he did allow the three unearned runs after the significant error in the first). If he can replicate that success and get into or possibly past the middle innings of this game while allowing zero to two runs, he will have done his job on Saturday.
Get ahead early
One thing that'll make Dusty Baker's job somewhat more comfortable, though in a Game 7 nothing truly is, is if his bats can start to distance themselves from the Rays early. There shouldn't be much of a shadow issue in this one, beginning at 7:37 PM Central, 5:37 local time in San Diego. That means Houston, who exploded in the middle innings in Game 6, might have the opportunity to do the same early in Game 7.
To do it, they'll have to put up runs on their former-teammate Charlie Morton, who shut them out over five frames in Game 2. Then, much like the Astros, the Rays will have just about everyone ready to come in, including the likes of Tyler Glasnow and Ryan Yarbrough, that they might not have as much success as they've had against the Rays bullpen in recent days. In a game with this high leverage, every baserunner will count and apply pressure, so the Astros need to reproduce Friday's success at the plate, albeit against potentially stiffer pitching.
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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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.