ARLINGTON, Texas – This American League Championship Series pitting in-state rivals took a turn from congenial to contentious to crazy – until finally, one of the greatest postseason players in baseball history restored order.
In a stunning final four innings that saw two massive swings of the bat, three lead changes and a benches-clearing brouhaha all while the upper hand in this ALCS found a balance, Jose Altuve had the last word. His three-run home run to left field off Rangers closer Jose Leclerc in the top of the ninth gave the Astros a 5-4 victory in Game 5, bringing their season off life support and back, once again, on the doorstep to the World Series.
It was Altuve’s 26th career home run, second-most in major league playoff history, and it ranks among the most memorable.
For the Rangers, it was another sordid chapter in a postseason history that ultimately ends with them snake-bitten.
They were riding high, having taken a 4-2 lead on Adolis Garcia’s three-run home run with one out in the top of the sixth. They also had the moral high ground, as Astros reliever Bryan Abreu appeared to retaliate for Garcia’s celebratory bat spike by hitting him in the ribs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
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Garcia immediately got in catcher Martin Maldonado’s face, assuming the pitch was retaliation – perhaps for Garcia’s emphatic celebration, or extending from a beef between the two teams in July.
Chaos ensued.
The benches cleared and a bobbing sea of humanity coalesced around home plate. The umpires ejected both Abreu and Garcia – the latter’s ejection wasn’t immediately evident – and Astros manager Dusty Baker’s furious reaction to Abreu’s ejection earned him a very quick boot, as well.
The delay likely did not help Leclerc, who gave up a single and a walk to pinch-hitters Yainer Diaz and Jonathan Singleton, setting up Altuve. He sent a bipartisan rumble through the disbelieving crowd of 41,519 at Globe Life Field.
Astros lead.
The bottom of the ninth was no picnic: Singles by Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim flipped it to the top of the order – just like the Astros in the top of the frame – and put the heat on Astros closer Ryan Pressly.
But unlike Leclerc, Pressly – called in to replace the ejected Abreu – calmed the storm. Marcus Semien lined to short. Corey Seager hit a deep fly ball to center.
And rookie Evan Carter struck out swinging.
Game over. Astros advantage. And order maintained – for now – in the Lone Star pecking order.
Here's how Game 5 unfolded:
After Rangers reliever José Leclerc gave up a single and walk to start the ninth inning, Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer to give the Astros a 5-4 lead.
It was Altuve's 26th career postseason home run, the second-most in baseball history.
ARLINGTON, Texas — It's been a spirited but civil battle for the Lone Star State in this American League Championship Series. But some bad history, one bat spike and one pitch to the ribs changed all that in a hurry.
Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu drilled Texas Rangers slugger Adolis Garcia in the ribs on the first pitch of their at-bat in the eighth inning, two innings after Garcia gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead with a three-run home run in this crucial Game 5.
Garcia immediately sniffed intent, turning and jawing at Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as the two went nose-to-mask. The benches cleared. The bullpens cleared. Players out of the game trundled down the clubhouse tunnel and on to the field, in various stages of dress.
And ultimately, Abreu, Garcia and Astros manager Dusty Baker were ejected.
The beef between the Astros and Garcia dates to July, when a bench-clearing brawl ensued after Garcia hit a grand slam to extend a Texas lead to 13-3. Maldonado and Garcia had words that day, and once again on this most magnified stage.
Follow along for live updates from Game 5 of the ALCS:
ARLINGTON, Texas - Justin Verlander kept the Texas Rangers and a crowd of 41,519 quiet almost all afternoon. And then they simply ambushed him.
The heart of the Rangers' order - Corey Seager, Evan Carter and Adolis Garcia - jumped Verlander with a double, single and Garcia's three-run homer, punctuated by an emphatic bat spike as the Rangers took a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning of ALCS Game 5 on Thursday.
Verlander, cruising with just three hits allowed through five innings, was chased from the game by Josh Jung's two-out single, unable to protect a 2-1 lead he was handed a moment earlier.
The Rangers are now just nine outs from taking a 3-2 lead down to Houston, where Game 6 will be contested Sunday.
ARLINGTON, Texas - Corey Seager has made some fantastic plays at shortstop in this ALCS. But the one he could not make enabled the Houston Astros to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning of Thursday's pivotal Game 5.
With runners at the corners and one out, Jose Abreu smashed a short-hop grounder that ate Seager up, and enabled Alex Bregman to score the go-ahead run; the play was more than generously ruled a hit.
After a walk, starter Jordan Montgomery was done after 5 ⅓ innings, leaving the bases loaded behind him. But reliever Josh Sborz got Chas McCormick on a shallow fly to right and Marcus Semien made a fine diving play on a Jeremy Peña grounder, and the Astros stranded three runners.
ARLINGTON, Texas - After nearly five innings and little hard contact, the Texas Rangers finally got to Justin Verlander.
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe rode a 95-mph fastball out to left field, getting just enough of it to elude Houston Astros left fielder Chas McCormick, and the Rangers tied Game 5 of the ALCS, 1-1.
Until then, Verlander had given up just one hit and a walk and was outdueling Texas starter Jordan Montgomery, whose lone blemish was a first-inning home run from Alex Bregman.
Despite the game-tying tally, Verlander and the Astros are in good shape: He's thrown just 68 pitches through five innings and figures to hand the ball off to the very best of the Houston bullpen.
ARLINGTON, Texas - After two perfect innings, the Texas Rangers suddenly had Justin Verlander right where they wanted him: A walk, a single, runners on first and third and the top of the order coming up with one out in the third.
And in two pitches, it was over.
Sluggers Marcus Semien and Corey Seager each swung at Verlander's first pitch and popped both of them up, Semien to first base and Seager to shallow left field, and a golden opportunity passed.
Verlander has thrown 35 pitches through three innings, and Houston's high-leverager relievers - Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly - are all rested and ready for this crucial Game 5.
While it's still early, the Rangers may start to feel the squeeze of the Astros' pitching soon.
– Gabe Lacques
ARLINGTON, Texas – For the third consecutive game, the Texas Rangers will face an early-inning deficit at their home ballpark. Does that mean a third loss in this ALCS is in the cards?
Houston's No. 3 hitter Alex Bregman smacked a home run into the left field seats on left-hander Jordan Montgomery's fifth pitch of Game 4, and the Astros took a 1-0 lead before handing the ball to Justin Verlander for his 38th postseason start.
The pattern is familiar.
The Astros led 3-0 after two innings of Game 3 and one inning of Game 4 and took both, erasing a 2-0 ALCS deficit. Today's winner seizes the all-important 3-2 advantage before the series heads downstate to Houston for Game 6 on Saturday.
— Gabe Lacques
ARLINGTON, Texas — In eight postseason games, Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is now batting .419 (13 for 31), reaching base at a .471 clip, and has driven in 13 runs. It won’t appear on his playoff game log, but let the record reflect that the hitters in front and behind him in the lineup combined to drive in five runs.
And after getting shut out 2-0 in Game 1 of this ALCS, the Astros have scored four, eight and 10 runs in their next three games. The swagger is back, largely because of their cleanup hitter who often moves in silence but might give Bryce Harper a run as the most impactful hitter in the game.
“Alvarez is on fire right now. And he’s the best hitter in the world,” says outfielder Chas McCormick, whose third career postseason home run gave Houston a 9-3 lead. “So when our guy’s going, and we get Altuve going and Jose Abreu going, we’re one of the best teams in the world.
“Having Alvarez hit like he’s been hitting, nothing can stop us right now.”
Houston Astros
Starting pitcher: RHP Justin Verlander – 13-8, 2.28 ERA regular season; 1.42 in 12 ⅔ innings postseason
Texas Rangers
Starting pitcher: LHP Jordan Montgomery – 10-11, 3.20 ERA regular season; 2-0, 2.08 ERA in 17⅓ innings postseason
ARLINGTON, Texas – For Jose Altuve, the first 100 career playoff games are in the books. Just how far into the next century of games might he advance?
The Houston Astros stalwart got started on that Friday, with Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field. Altuve and the Astros are a decade removed from losing 110 games, with almost uninterrupted success since.
At 33, Altuve looks as viable in the postseason environment as ever: He had three hits in Houston’s 10-3 Game 4 victory and has five hits in his last nine at-bats. Thanks in part to the ever-increasing catalogue of postseason games, he is near the top of almost every offensive category.
His three runs scored in Game 4 moved him past Bernie Williams into second in playoff history; he has a ways to go for his 85 runs to catch all-time leader Derek Jeter’s 111. Altuve is also second in career home runs, with 25 and fourth in hits (112) and extra-base hits (45).
Altuve is signed through 2024, and the Astros show little sign of slowing.
“I'm just thankful to be here to play that many playoff games,” says Altuve Friday before Game 5. “And, yes, I'm with some hits and homers and individual stats (leaders) in playoffs, but every time you can play you're thinking about winning.
“I can say the stats means something because you're helping the team, but it's not the highlight at the end of the day. It's about winning.”
Plenty of that, too. Only Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz have appeared in seven consecutive League Championship Series, as Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman have. The Astros are two victories from a fifth World Series appearance in this run.
It’s gone quickly – and keeps going quickly, too fast for Altuve to reflect.
“You can ask me again after the whole thing is over,” he says about his most memorable moments in this stretch. Maybe I'll have a better answer. I'm just enjoying everything.”
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