Credit: ABC13
October 19, 2023...Astros dominate and win 10-3 at Globe Life Field in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, evening the series at 2-2. Right-hander Jose Urquidy of the Astros was against lefty Andrew Heaney of the Rangers.
Here is the Gameday lineups, stats, and graphics related to Game 4 for your further viewing.
Rangers vs Astros Game 4 Recap
The Astros jumped out to a 3-0 lead within the first 10 pitches of the game from Rangers' starter Andrew Heaney. Singles from Jose Altuve and Mauricio Dubon put runners on first and third with nobody out. Alex Bregman proceeded to hit a triple to deep right center field to score both runs, and Yordan Alvarez would riffle a line drive to center field for a single, scoring Bregman and putting the Astros up by three in a blink of an eye. Heaney would exit the game after only recording two outs, and in would come the Rangers' long relief option for the game: Dane Dunning.
Credit: AllSides
However, the Rangers would battle back throughout the second and third innings to tie the score at 3-3, thanks to home runs from Adolis Garcia and Corey Seager, and a sacrifice fly from Josh Jung. However, this would be all of the Rangers' offense for the game.
The big breakthrough in the game came in the top of the fourth inning, where the Astros would load the bases with nobody out against Dunning. Cody Bradford would replace Dunning to face Alvarez, and Yordan would hit a 110.7 mph line drive that went 401 feet, but ultimately landed in the glove of Leody Taveras on the center field warning track for a sacrifice fly, giving the Astros a 4-3 lead. However, in the next at bat, with the Rangers thinking they escaped a potential major momentum shift in the game only being down one instead of four runs, Jose Abreu unleashed a 438-foot three-run home run to the second deck in left field to make the score 7-3. This home run increased the Astros win probability by 24.3% to a 87.2% mark, still with the game only being in the fourth inning.
The Rangers offense could just not find an answer for the Astros pitching for the rest of the game. But, the Astros would add more runs with a two-run home run from Chas McCormick in the top of the seventh, and another run scoring single from Yordan Alvarez in the top of the eighth inning, making the score 10-3, which would be the final score as well.
Credit: MLB
This game highlighted Jose Altuve's 100th career postseason game, becoming only the seventh player in Major League history to achieve that feat. Altuve would also go 3-for-4 with two doubles (one being so close to a home run and hitting the yellow line on the outfield wall), and three runs scored. Yordan also went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in, raising his monstrous 2023 postseason run to a .419 batting average and 13 runs batted in eight games played. Abreu's three-run home run was also pivotal in this game, so he cannot be forgotten as a top performer of the game as well.
The two sides will face up again this afternoon for Game 5 at 4:07 PM Central Time. A Game 1 rematch of Justin Verlander (Astros, 1-1, 1.42 ERA) and Jordan Montgomery (Rangers, 2-0, 2.08 ERA) is on the table as both sides will settle for nothing less than a victory to be one win away from reaching the World Series.
Rangers vs Astros ALCS Game 5 is a must watch, and hey it's a Friday afternoon, so make sure to tune in later today for this serious Lone Star showdown.
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