In his inaugural season with Texas, veteran manager Bruce Bochy has masterminded the Rangers’ journey into the AL Championship Series. Meanwhile, Yordan Alvarez and the Houston Astros are just one victory away from setting the stage for an all-Texas ALCS showdown.
Corey Seager and Adolis García delivered early homers, while Nathan Eovaldi impressively manned the mound for seven innings in another pivotal playoff win. The Rangers sealed a Division Series sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a commanding 7-1 victory in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
The Rangers, who fell short in the final game of the regular season against Seattle, thus narrowly missing out on the AL West championship title and settling for a wildcard entry, have remarkably triumphed in all five of their postseason outings. This victory secures their ticket to the ALCS for the first time since 2011.
“I saw a team that was really motivated,” remarked Bochy, a three-time World Series-winning manager with the San Francisco Giants from 2010 to 2014. “The offense, everybody was doing something to contribute.”
In Minneapolis, José Abreu played a pivotal role, launching a three-run homer in a four-run first inning against Sonny Gray and further extending the Astros’ lead with a two-run shot in the ninth, propelling them to a commanding 9-1 victory and a 2-1 advantage over the Minnesota Twins in their ALDS.
Yordan Alvarez continued his impressive streak with his fourth home run in three games, while Alex Bregman added a homer and an RBI single for the reigning World Series champions. Cristian Javier’s exceptional performance on the mound, striking out nine batters in five scoreless innings, secured the win. Texas ALCS showdown
Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday at Target Field, with José Urquidy set to start for the Astros against Joe Ryan. A potential Game 5 would be held on Friday in Houston.
In another postseason matchup, the wildcard Diamondbacks have a chance to create an upset as they aim for a stunning sweep of the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of their NL Division Series, which relocates to Phoenix. This game marks Arizona’s first home appearance this postseason, following their remarkable 4-0 record on the road.