WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT
How Astros manager Dusty Baker plans to attack Rangers in must-win Game 7
Oct 23, 2023, 4:42 pm
Chas McCormick is back in the lineup. Composite Getty Image.
brantley-altuve-mccormick
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.
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🏟: Closed
đź“ş: @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!
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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.