Houston Astros set ALCS roster ahead of matchup with Yankees
ROSTER IS SET
19 October 2022
ROSTER IS SET
The Houston Astros and Dusty Baker made a couple of tweaks to the playoff roster on Wednesday, with the most notable change being the addition of right-handed reliever Seth Martinez.
Our ALCS roster is set. pic.twitter.com/qEzJA484JS
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 19, 2022
To make room for the addition of Seth Martinez, center fielder Jake Meyers was left off the roster. Meyers pinch ran in Game 1 of the ALDS scoring on Yordan Alvarez's walk-off home run. Meyers also had two plate appearances in Game 2, striking out twice.
Meyers' struggles and watching a game go 18 innings certainly factored in the decision to add an extra pitcher to the roster, going with 13 pitchers and 13 position players. The Astros must have confidence in Chas McCormick's health, as he was seen limping a bit in the previous series. With Meyers being out for this series, McCormick and Mauricio Dubon will be tasked with holding down center field for Houston.
They say pitching wins championships, so adding another reliever that's tough on right-handed hitters sounds like a smart move for the club.
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 García 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 Ramón Urías 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.