Houston lives to see another day
Astros avoid elimination with ALCS Game 4 win
Oct 14, 2020, 10:47 pm
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
George Springer celebrates with his teammates after a go-ahead homer
With the Astros having lost the first three games, an uphill battle presented itself to not only win the game to force another game but needed four straight to advance to the World Series. With the Rays carrying all the momentum into ALCS Game 4, Houston needed to get something going quick to shift things their way.
They would get another early spark from Jose Altuve, along with a strong start from Zack Greinke, to get into the win column in the ALCS. They make it a 3-1 series lead for the Rays, forcing a Game 5. Here is a quick recap of Game 4:
Final Score: Astros 4, Rays 3.
Series: TB leads 3-1.
Winning Pitcher: Zack Greinke.
Losing Pitcher: Tyler Glasnow.
Altuve brings in some early runs as Greinke has a solid start
For the 3rd time this #ALCS, José Altuve has homered in the 1st inning.
(MLB x @blueemu1) pic.twitter.com/ebnWoMm2Jg
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2020
For the third time this series, Jose Altuve would put the Astros ahead 1-0 in the first inning with a solo home run. This one was possibly the sweetest, changing the narrative off of his fielding miscues and back to his success at the plate. That success continued in his next at-bat in the bottom of the third, when he would get a rare (in this series) RBI with a runner in scoring position, a double to bring in Martin Maldonado, who worked a one-out walk earlier in the frame.
That put the Astros ahead 2-0, but the Rays would quickly respond in the top of the fourth against Zack Greinke, getting a two-run home run off the bat of Randy Arozarena to tie it up 2-2. Greinke would otherwise do well, pitching into the sixth when he would face some traffic with back-to-back one-out singles. Dusty Baker would come out to have a conversation with him, ultimately leaving him in, which proved to be the right call as he would make it through the inning. His final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 93 P.
Zack with a K. #ALCS pic.twitter.com/eK0RQJkQM6
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2020
Astros force Game 5
Greinke would leave in line for the win, with that jam-escaping sixth inning taking place with a 4-2 lead. The two runs that had the Astros ahead came courtesy of George Springer, who would capitalize on a one-out single by Martin Maldonado by crushing a two-run go-ahead homer.
A lonnng #SpringerDinger for the lead.
(MLB x @blueemu1) pic.twitter.com/bDk7L5WU1y
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2020
Cristian Javier would take over on the mound in the top of the seventh and erased a two-out single for a scoreless inning. He kept going in the top of the eighth, a perfect inning with two strikeouts. He would go back to the mound in the top of the ninth to try and finish it off, but after a leadoff walk, Dusty Baker would bring in Ryan Pressly. Despite allowing a two-out RBI-double, he would get the save to wrap up the win for Houston. The Astros avoid elimination with the victory and force another game in the ALCS as they try to become the second team to come back from down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series.
Up Next: ALCS Game 5 will start a bit earlier on Thursday, with first pitch at 4:07 PM Central. Neither team has announced who will start on the mound as the Astros try to keep the series going.
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Roman Anthony lined a fly ball over drawn-in center fielder Chas McCormick’s head to score the automatic runner from third, and the Boston Red Sox rallied in the 10th inning to beat the new-look Houston Astros 2-1 on Friday night.
Boston trailed 1-0 on Christian Walker’s second-inning home run before tying it in the seventh on Wilyer Abreu’s sacrifice fly.
With Abreu starting the bottom of the 10th on second base, Ceddanne Rafaela tried unsuccessfully to bunt him to third before swinging away -- and hitting the ball just a few feet in front of the plate. Catcher Yanier Diaz tried to get Abreu at third, but his throw was late.
Anthony lined a 2-2 pitch to center. McCormick ran after it and it flew just beyond his glove for what was scored as a walk-off single.
Greg Weissert (4-3) pitched a perfect 10th for the win as the Red Sox won for the fifth time in six games to reach a season-high nine games above .500.
Bennett Sousa (5-1) failed to get an out in picking up his first career loss.
Christian Walker homered, Hunter Brown took a shutout into the seventh inning and Jeremy Peña had three hits for Houston. Trade deadline acquisition Jesús Sánchez had two hits and Carlos Correa went hitless in his return to the team that picked him No. 1 overall in 2012 and re-acquired on Thursday the AL West-leading Astros loaded up in their quest for a ninth straight postseason appearance.
Key moment
In the top of the 10th, the Astros had a runner on third with one out when Mauricio Dubón hit a grounder to short and Trevor Story threw home to keep the go-ahead run from scoring.
Key stat
Bregman, who played his first nine years in Houston, singled in each of his first two career at-bats against the Astros.
Up next
Red Sox RHP Walker Buehler (6-6) will face Astros LHP Colton Gordon (4-3) on Saturday.