How Astros manager Dusty Baker plans to attack Rangers in must-win Game 7
WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT
23 October 2023
WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT
Chas McCormick is back in the lineup. Composite Getty Image.
This one is for all the marbles. One team will win the pennant and advance to the World Series, while the other will be heading home and looking ahead to next season.
Our ALCS Game 7 lineup.
đź•–: 7:05 PM
🏟: Closed
📺: @MLBONFOX
đź“»: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM pic.twitter.com/ICnZVgKsy0
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 23, 2023
Against Max Scherzer, manager Dusty Baker is employing a lineup we haven't seen all that often. Both Chas McCormick AND Michael Brantley are starting in the outfield tonight. Uncle Mike is no longer hitting second, he's sliding down to 5th, with Alex Bregman batting second behind Jose Altuve.
Chas McCormick will be playing center field, and Maurcio Dubon is out of the starting lineup. McCormick will hit 7th behind the struggling Kyle Tucker (5-35 in the postseason with 1RBI).
Pitching tonight, the Astros send Cristian Javier to the hill for the most important game of the season to date. Here's a look at the Rangers' lineup for Game 7.
A trip to the World Series on the line. #GoAndTakeIt pic.twitter.com/DdvSJ5bg8l
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) October 23, 2023
The other big factor for tonight's game is the status of Astros reliever Bryan Abreu. MLB announced today that they are upholding Abreu's two game suspension for hitting Adolis Garcia. But fortunately for Astros fans, the suspension will not be enforced until the beginning of the 2024 season.
So it will truly be all hands on deck for the Astros pitchers in this critical Game 7 matchup. Go 'Stros!
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis GarcĂa allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until RamĂłn UrĂas doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.