Abreu, Alvarez and Altuve help Astros pull even in ALCS with 10-3 win over Rangers in Game 4
Houston Astros' Jose Abreu hits a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the fourth inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) hits a single as Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim reaches for the pitch during the second inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros' Alex Bregman (2) hits a two-run triple off Texas Rangers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney (44) during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy throws during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Andrew Heaney, center right, hands the ball to manager Bruce Bochy, left, after being pulled during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Texas Rangers during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros' Alex Bregman, right, slides safely into third base after hitting a two-run triple as Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung tags him during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros' Alex Bregman, right, hits a two-run triple as Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim reaches for the pitch during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers' Corey Seager hits a home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, left, avoids a close pitch as Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim catches the ball during the fourth inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers' Corey Seager celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers' Corey Seager, top, watches his home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (65) during the third inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers' Adolis Garcia, right, hits a home run off Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (65) as catcher Martin Maldonado reaches for the pitch during the second inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
Texas Rangers' Adolis Garcia celebrates after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the second inning in Game 4 of the baseball American League Championship Series Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, in Arlington, Texas.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) 鈥� Houston manager Dusty Baker and third baseman Alex Bregman really have no explanation for why the Astros have been so good in that other retractable-roof stadium in Texas.
鈥淚 have no clue, to be honest with you,鈥� Bregman said. 鈥淏ut I think the focus has been really good in that clubhouse.鈥�
They do know the 250-mile trip north and another big-scoring road game against the Rangers has pulled Houston even in the AL Championship Series.
Jos茅 Abreu hit a three-run homer right after Yordan Alvarez蘑菇视频 go-ahead sacrifice fly, and the Astros rolled to a 10-3 victory in Game 4 on Thursday night. They led 3-0 only four batters into the game, and responded immediately after Texas tied it on Corey Seager蘑菇视频 opposite-field homer in the third inning.
Adolis Garc铆a also homered for the wild-card Rangers, who have dropped two games in a row at home after starting this postseason with seven consecutive wins 鈥� six on the road. That included sweeps of the AL蘑菇视频 two winningest teams, Baltimore and Tampa Bay.
鈥淣obody thought it was going to be easy,鈥� Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. 鈥�(The Astros) have played very well in this ballpark. We need to change that.鈥�
Game 5 is Friday afternoon at Globe Life Field, where the defending World Series champion Astros are 8-1 this season. The home team has yet to lead in this ALCS, which switches back to Houston for Game 6 on Sunday night.
鈥淭hey keep asking me that same question,鈥� Baker said about his team蘑菇视频 success in Arlington. 鈥淚鈥檝e got the same answer: I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Jose Altuve had three hits in his 100th career postseason game and scored three runs for a record sixth time. Alvarez drove in three, giving him 13 RBIs already this postseason, and Chas McCormick added a two-run homer.
鈥淚t makes it even more special because we won,鈥� said Altuve, the seventh big leaguer to play in 100 postseason games. 鈥淣othing蘑菇视频 done yet, but to be able to get the opportunity to come back and tie the series 鈥� it蘑菇视频 really important for us.鈥�
The Astros have outscored Texas 74-32 in winning their last seven games at Globe Life. They won 8-5 in Game 3 of the first postseason series between the instate AL West rivals.
鈥淭hey crush the ball here, man. I don鈥檛 have an answer other than that,鈥� Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said. 鈥淢aybe it蘑菇视频 too nice in the visiting clubhouse and we need to maybe switch up the spread, leave something uncooked a little bit.鈥�
AL West champion Houston has won 18 of its past 21 road games overall, including a three-game sweep during the first week of September when the Astros homered 16 times and outscored the Rangers 39-10.
Dane Dunning, who entered in relief for Texas in the first inning, had an 0-2 count against No. 9 batter Martin Maldonado to open the fourth with the game tied before walking him and then Altuve. Mauricio Dub贸n followed with his second soft single of the game before Bregman struck out with the bases loaded.
Rookie lefty Cody Bradford came on and Alvarez hit his ninth pitch 401 feet to the warning track in center field for a sac fly. Abreu蘑菇视频 fourth homer this postseason made it 7-3.
鈥淚 went up there, I needed a great swing (and) thankfully the pitch was where I wanted it to be,鈥� Abreu said through a translator.
Ryne Stanek got the win, throwing only one pitch after replacing starter Jos茅 Urquidy in the third. Stanek threw a slider to induce Mitch Garver蘑菇视频 inning-ending double-play grounder.
鈥淲ild,鈥� Stanek said. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 something that you only even notice it way after. 鈥� You鈥檙e just going to go out and do my job and by circumstance I happen to get a win.鈥�
QUICK START
Altuve opened the game with a double and Dub贸n, after three hits in Game 3, followed with a bloop single off Andrew Heaney. Bregman drove both home with a triple into the right-center gap, and the Rangers already had Dunning up in the bullpen before Alvarez singled to make it 3-0.
THAT CLOSE
The Rangers were still down 7-3, but had two on with no outs in the fifth when a finger of Marcus Semien蘑菇视频 batting glove was the difference between a lineout and a crucial double play. The Rangers baserunner was sliding back to first base after Abreu snagged Seager蘑菇视频 108.6 mph liner, lunging to tag Semien just as his hand reached the bag, and first base umpire Jordan Baker signaled safe. The Astros challenged and the call was overturned.
UP NEXT
Game 5 will be a rematch of the trade-deadline acquisitions who started the series opener. Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery threw 6 1/3 innings in Game 1 as Texas won 2-0. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who allowed both runs over six innings, will make his 21st career postseason start for the Astros. They got him back from the Mets on Aug. 1.
BIG PRODUCTION
Alvarez and Abreu are the first teammates in postseason history with at least four homers and 10 RBIs in a team蘑菇视频 first eight playoff games.
SEAGER DINGERS
Seager became the first shortstop to homer in both the NLCS and ALCS with his 401-foot solo drive to left-center in the third. He was with the Los Angeles Dodgers when they played 16 neutral-site postseason games at Globe Life Field while winning the World Series title in 2020. Seager was MVP in both the NLCS and World Series. He hit five homers in that seven-game NLCS.
FOR STARTERS
It was the first time in Heaney蘑菇视频 156 career starts (154 regular season and two postseason) that he didn鈥檛 make it out of the first inning. 鈥� Urquidy, who allowed three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings, entered 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA in seven career starts against the Rangers.
OPEN ROOF
A game was played at Globe Life Field with the roof open for the first time in nearly five months. It was 78 degrees under clear skies when the game began. Texas was 7-4 during the regular season with the roof open, the last game being May 21.
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