MLB playoffs: Rangers clinch spot in ALCS, Astros take lead on Twins
Oct. 11 (UPI) — Nathan Eovaldi held the Baltimore Orioles to one run over seven innings and Adolis Garcia drove in three, leading the Texas Rangers to a blowout victory and punching a ticket to the American League Championship Series.
Shortstop Corey Seager and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe also homered in the 7-1 Game 3 triumph Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers swept the series 3-0 to climb into the ALCS for the first time since 2011.
“I’ve had a lot of failures in my career,” Garcia told reporters. “I’ve been there at the bottom. I think when you get to that point, the one we are at now, you know how to act accordingly.”
The Rangers will meet the Houston Astros or Minnesota Twins in the next round. The Astros beat the Twins earlier Tuesday to take a 2-1 edge in that best-of-five series.
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“I saw a team that was really motivated,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochi said. “The fans, they were so into it. They came out swinging. The story was Nate and the job he did out there on the mound to set the tone. On offense, everybody was doing something to contribute.”
Seager put the Rangers on the scoreboard with a 445-foot solo homer off Orioles starter Dean Kremer in the bottom of the first. Rangers designated hitter Mitch Garver added to the lead with a two-run double in the second. Garcia smacked a three-run homer four pitches later. That 418-foot blast from the right fielder gave the Rangers a 6-0 edge.
Infielder Gunnar Henderson plated the Orioles’ lone run with an RBI single in the top of the fifth. Lowe capped the scoring in the bottom of the next inning, hitting a 437-foot solo homer off Orioles relief pitcher Kyle Gibson.
Garver, Garcia and third baseman Josh Jung recorded two hits apiece in the win. Henderson went 3 for 4 in the loss.
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In the first game of the day, first baseman Jose Abreu hit two of four Astros home runs to fuel a dominant 9-1 win over the Twins. That victory moved the Astros to within one win of claiming the American League Division Series.
Abreu went 2 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Third baseman Alex Bregman also went 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Left fielder Yordan Alvarez went 4 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs.
Astros starter Cristian Javier allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings.
The Astros jumped on the Twins with four runs off starter Sonny Gray in the top of the first. Right fielder Kyle Tucker started the scoring with an RBI single. Abreu broke the game open with a 442-foot, three-run homer to left field in the next at-bat.
Bregman led off the fifth with a 353-foot solo shot off Gray, giving the Astros a 5-0 lead. He hit an RBI single in the next inning to push the advantage to six. Center fielder Willi Castro plated the Twins’ lone run with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning.
Alvarez and Abreu homered in the ninth for the final runs of the series.
Game 4 of the series will be at 7:07 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Minneapolis. The series finale, if necessary, will be at 9:03 p.m. Friday in Houston. The winner of the series will face the Rangers on Sunday in Game 1 of the ALCS.
The Philadelphia Phillies (1-1) will host the Atlanta Braves (1-1) in Game 3 of a National League Division Series at 5:07 p.m. Wednesday in Philadelphia. The Arizona Diamondbacks (2-0) will later get the chance to sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers (0-2) in Game 3 of that series at 9:07 p.m. Wednesday in Phoenix.
Source: Yahoo Sports
