Houston rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series of the 2023 Major League Baseball postseason on April 21 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Houston led 1-0 through four innings. Starter Justin Verlander pitched well. Texas starter Jordan Montgomery pitched well, but a solo home run by Alex Bregman in the top of the first inning and a strong outing by Verlander put Houston ahead.
The game was tied in the bottom of the fifth. Texas tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Nathaniel Lowe took a 95.4-mile-per-hour four-seam fastball from Verlander over the left field fence for a solo shot.
In the top of the sixth, Montgomery walked Bregman with one out and gave up a single to right field to Jordan Alvarez to put runners on first and third. He then gave up an RBI single to Jose Abreu.
In the bottom of the sixth, the game flipped again. With one out, Verlander gave up a double to Corey Seager in right field and a single to Evan Carter in left to put runners on first and third. Verlander then fired a 95-mile-per-hour four-seam fastball to Adolis Garcia for a three-run homer over the left field fence.
Verlander then got Leandro Taveras to ground out to shortstop and gave up a single to left to Josh Young before being removed from the game. But Garcia might have been looking too long at the home run. Houston scored in the bottom of the eighth when Brian Abreu hit Garcia with a fastball that touched 98.9 miles per hour (159 kilometers per hour) and struck Garcia in the right forearm.
Garcia became enraged, shoving Houston catcher Maldonado, and players from both teams spilled onto the field. The umpires eventually ejected Abreu. Houston manager Dustin Baker was also ejected for protesting. Garcia was also sent off.토스카지노
After the dust settled, the Astros turned the game around. In the top of the ninth inning, Yoenis Diaz singled, John Singleton walked and Jose Altuve, the “Little Giant,” hit a three-run home run over the left field fence.
Altuve, who tasted home runs in the Division Series against the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 8, homered off Texas starter Max Scherzer in Game 3 on Sept. 19. Houston won that game 8-5.
After Houston tied the series with a 10-3 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday, Altuve’s blast sent the Astros, who are trying to win their second straight World Series title, to Game 5 and put them one game away from advancing to this year’s World Series.
Altuve now has 26 career postseason home runs. The all-time postseason home run record is held by the retired Manny Ramirez (29).
Altuve, who made his big league debut in 2011, is playing his eighth fall ball. He has played in 101 games with Texas, batting .275 with 26 home runs and 54 RBIs. It remains to be seen if Altuve can break Ramirez’s record.
“Altuve hit the biggest home run of his postseason career,” MLB.com noted.