Baseball’s nightmare is almost a reality.
The Astros, who fired their manager and general manager in January after an MLB investigation found they had cheated their way to a World Series title three years ago, are now one win away from getting back to the Fall Classic.
Houston avoided elimination again on Friday night, winning their third straight over the reeling Rays, 7-4, in Game 6 of the ALCS at Petco Park in San Diego. They’ll look to complete the unlikely series comeback Saturday night.
“This team has battled back big-time,’’ manager Dusty Baker said. “You’ve got to love this team — or some people hate this team, but you at least have got to respect this team.”
On Friday, the Astros used a four-run fifth inning to spark another win, taking advantage of some poor work out of the bullpen by the Rays — and then held on for a victory.
With the Game 6 win, the Astros became just the second team to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in a postseason series, joining the 2004 Red Sox, who went on to beat the Yankees in that ALCS.
“We’re relentless,’’ Carlos Correa said. “When we said we didn’t want to go home, we really meant it. We took care of these three games. We’ve got to win one more. If we don’t win that one, it all means nothing.”
The Rays took the lead in the bottom of the second with Willy Adames’ RBI double.
Tampa Bay starter Blake Snell battled his command early on, but was effective. Still, the left-hander was yanked after the first two batters reached in the fifth.
Diego Castillo entered with no outs and Martin Maldonado bunted the runners over. With the infield in, George Springer knocked one through the right side to drive in Yuli Gurriel and Aledyms Diaz and give Houston a 2-1 lead.
Jose Altuve then ripped a double to left and Springer scored easily when Brandon Lowe, usually an infielder, but playing left field, threw the ball in to second.
Castillo, so effective out of the pen through most of the playoffs — especially against the Yankees in the ALDS — then walked Michael Brantley on four pitches. Correa delivered an RBI single to left to complete the rally, as Houston went up, 4-1.
Kyle Tucker extended the lead to four runs by starting the top of the sixth with a homer, but Tampa Bay threatened in the bottom of the inning.
It started with Hunter Renfroe’s one-out single off Framber Valdez. Yandy Diaz walked on a 3-2 pitch and started yelling at Valdez as he walked to first. Valdez and Diaz jawed at each other before the umpires — and Correa — helped defuse the situation.
But just when it seemed like the Rays had Valdez on the ropes, the young lefty responded by getting the struggling Lowe to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The Astros tacked on two more runs in the seventh, but a homer by Manuel Margot to start the bottom of the seventh made it 7-2. An inning later, Margot hit a two-out, two-run shot to get the Rays to within 7-4, which forced Baker to turn to his closer, Ryan Pressly, for a third straight night — meaning he may be unavailable for Game 7.
Pressly did the job — barely — allowing a one-out hit to pinch-hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo before ALDS hero Mike Brosseau grounded into a double play to end it, with Randy Arozarena on deck.
Houston will turn to Lance McCullers, Jr. on Saturday, with Tampa Bay going with former Astro Charlie Morton, with a trip to the World Series on the line.
“This isn’t the scenario that we wanted,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of the three straight defeats. “But this is a resilient group.”
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October 17, 2020 at 09:27AM
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Astros hold off Rays to win third straight, force ALCS Game 7 - New York Post
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