Thanks to the heroics of shortstop Carlos Correa, who hit a walk-off home run Thursday, the Astros forced a Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Rays. Both teams’ starters are set for that affair on Friday. The Astros will use left-hander Framber Valdez, per manager Dusty Baker (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com), while the Rays will turn to fellow southpaw Blake Snell, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
This will be the third straight backs-against-the-wall game for the Astros, who fell behind 3-0 in the series but have refused to go away quietly. They’ve won two consecutive games by a 4-3 score and will now rely on the 26-year-old Valdez to keep their season going. He was an indispensable part of their Justin Verlander-less rotation during the regular season, when he tossed 70 2/3 innings of 3.57 ERA/2.85 FIP ball with 9.68 K/9, 2.04 BB/9 and a 60 percent groundball rate. Valdez has added another 18 frames in the postseason and allowed just four earned runs. The Rays did, however, get the better of him in Game 1 of the ALCS with a 2-1 victory.
Snell was at the helm for the Rays in the series’ first game, and the former AL Cy Young winner gave up one run in five innings. He has generally been excellent in these playoffs, having surrendered five ER in 15 2/3 frames. Before that, Snell had another effective regular season with 50 innings of 3.24 ERA/4.35 FIP pitching with 11.34 K/9, 3.24 BB/9 and a 49.2 percent GB rate. The 27-year-old now has a chance to pitch Tampa Bay into the World Series for the first time since 2008.
If the Braves hold on and win tonight then the Dodgers will be in worse shape down 3-1 than the Astros are right now down 3-2.
Booger McFarland?
hilarious if the Dodgers go out in less games then the Astros.
I wouldn’t say “hilarious”… It’s just somewhat semi-interesting
I get what you’re saying. I’m just messing with you man
That was a great Houdini act getting out of the bases loaded jam by Chris Martin, only giving up a sac fly. YES, Marcel Ozuna just smacked another HOME RUN. Let’s go Braves.
We’ve been waiting for your hot take on Daryl Morey over on Hoops Rumours.
I see imindless is polluting that board with his thoughts as well.
Helps imindless deal with the dodgers potentially being down 3-1 and on the verge of being eliminated, again.
Dodgers come back and win they’ll show up. Dodgers fall to 3-1 most likely crickets. Typical bandwagon fan behavior.
The Rays are really blowing it
So far, their real goat is Brandon Lowe. I cant recall seeing a player swinging at so many bad pitches for Ks with runners on. Maybe Aaron Judge in 2017.
2017 Todd Frazier enters chat.
7 to 1, so it doesn’t look good. Another Kershaw flop.
See that’s the thing, is it really a flop? Kike makes an error, and mookie Betts was playing center field. I feel like every Kershaw bad outing is one inning of just a series of mishaps. I felt he pitched good enough to give them a chance. You obviously want more from that from an all time great, but I dont think every time he doesn’t go 7 shut out it’s a “choke”. Choke is the most overused term in sports.
Agreed. Kershaw pitched fine. I wouldn’t say he pitched dominate at all, but he kept his team in it. He just got out pitched by Wilson and then Joe Buck jinxed Graterol by saying he hadn’t given up an inherited run all season.
I said flop, not choke. Regardless, walking away with a 7 era is not lighting the world on fire here.
5 innings. 7 hits, 4 runs.
Kershaw being Kershaw in the NLCS.
Playoff Kershaw showed up alright. Just gets progressively worse as the playoffs stakes increase.
Valdez and then McCullers+Javier? Astros should feel good right about now. I see some Valdez heroics going down tomorrow, and then it’s a battle from there. BTW, I’m really surprised the Astros pulled off a bullpen game today, one of the weirdest things I’ve seen this season.
The one thing the Astros need right now is more production from Gurriel and Bregman. Both of them (especially Gurriel) have been disappointing in this series, and if either of them start to click, expect 5 runs each game from here on out.
They have something to prove, and like Tom Herman would say: They are taking it one day at a time.
the redemption arc is still alive
Houston is currently better positioned than Tampa despite the Rays only have to win 1 game. Valdez, Javier, McCullers available for 2 games. Snell has to pitch a gem tomorrow to win. If Houston wins tomorrow and Bregman starts to hit hard the ball again, goodbye Rays.
I just want to say that my opinion has changed completely on Globe Life Field over the span of 4 days. I love the stadium without the hug banners covering seats in the outfield, fans make the place seem so lively, the lighting situation looks somehow prestigious and very even, and with the roof open it makes the arches in left field just shine. I seem to like the place now, but I want y’alls opinions too.
BTW, I still want to see a brick backstop put in like the old ballpark, but that’s it.
I wanna know why the Braves are being allowed to cheat? Is the dodgers manager this stupid? Unacceptable! Their pine tar is well beyond the acceptable limit! Does he not knows the rule? Ozuna is the worst offender with 2 hrs.!both should have been outs. Riley the same, this cannot stand its ridiculous. The mangers who don’t know the rule should be fired tomorrow !
George Brett 1983 , look it up !
good gracious who cares?
Dodgers Mgr blew it by leaving Kershaw in 6th. He should have gone to Pen. Clayton did well to get thru 5. Pine tar is bs. Pitch better manage better.
Really? How did that LA bullpen perform after Kershaw was taken out?
Hard to say. Clean inning versus coming in with inherited runners are two very different things.
Lol cheating by the Braves???? Cmon man! Remember money doesn’t always buy you happiness, in this case the dodgers payroll. With the billion plus dollars spent in last few years and ZERO pennants, you would think by now their owner has to say enough is enough! Keep throwing money at it isn’t always the solution to the Dodgers “choke” act year in and year out! Oh btw GO RAYS!
TB in trouble giving the cheaters a glimpse of hope. Could be 2004 ALCS all over again
Unseal the letter. Free baseball from tyranny!
Money certainly hasn’t bought me happiness.
It has – however – kept a lot of sadness at bay.
;)
I’m not watching if the Trashtros make the Series
Actually, no one will be watching if it’s the Astros-Braves. A ratings nightmare for MLB.
Not that the Rays would be any attraction to anyone but the hard core baseball fan. I really enjoy watching them play their fundamental style of baseball. Yeah, they swing for the fences, like everyone else. But they pitch and defend so well.
Honest to God, if Brandon Lowe was hitting even .200 in this series instead of .105, the series would have been over.
LAY OFF THE SLIDER/SPLITTER DOWN, DUDE! ESPECIALLLY WITH LESS THAN TWO STRIKES!!!
Idk, this Braves team is different than the ones in the past. Definitely a lot more carefree and fun. I think more people will tune in to watch Acuna, Freeman, Ozuna and the boys.
Yankees/Dodgers fan for sure
Wow…are the Rays seriously going to blow a 3-0 series lead?
Ugh, the Astros must’ve found another camera and monitor …..
“Swing now Altuve!”