Thursday, December 5, 2024

MLB playoff highlights: Rangers blow out Astros to reach World Series, win ALCS Game 7

The Texas Rangers return to the World Series after defeating the Houston Astros 11-3 in Game 7 at Minute Maid Park. The Astros are the only team in MLB, NBA or NHL history to lose a seven-game streak by losing four games at home, and they’ve done it twice now — in the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals and the Rangers in this ALCS.

Adolis Garcia led the way with an incredible two-home run, five-RBI performance, embracing his role as the villain after his role in Game 5’s bench-clearing incident that suspended Brian Abreu for the first two games of the 2024 regular season. hit Garcia. Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe had a stunning hit.

The Rangers won their third pennant in franchise history after Jose Leclerc fired Kyle Tucker

Bruce Bochy became the first manager to lead three different teams to the World Series — the San Diego Padres, the San Francisco Giants (with whom he famously won three titles in the 2010s), and now the Rangers.

Earlier, the Arizona Diamondbacks blanked the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 at Citizens Bank Park in Game 6 behind Merrill Kelly’s eight strikeouts to force a Game 7 in the series on Tuesday.

Here are the best moments from two exciting playoff games!

Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros (on FOX and FOX Sports)

Seager Second Floor!

Corey Seager made what John Smoltz called a “shock value statement” as the second batter of Game 7, depositing a solo home run into the second deck at Minute Maid Park.

Adolis adds another one!

Although he failed to rush out of the batter’s box on his line drive off the left-field wall, Adolis Garcia brought in Evan Carter with a long single to lead off the second in the first inning.

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A bloop followed by a blast!

Neither Chaz McCormick nor Michael Brantley came around on Mitch Carver’s bloop single as the Rangers extended their lead to 3-0.

The Rangers scored three runs in the first inning to take an early lead over the Astros

The Rangers scored three runs in the first inning to take an early lead over the Astros

Javier was already out of the game

Christian Javier, who has allowed just five total hits in his sterling postseason career, recorded just one out after allowing four and three runs to the Astros in the first inning.

Abreu gets one back!

A single to left-field by Jose Abreu against Rangers starter Max Scherzer allowed the Astros one back, though he got Michael Brantley to ground into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.

Atolis again

Garcia now has a home run of his own in Game 7, his fourth straight game with a homer, to add another run.

Adolis Garcia smashed a solo home run to extend the Rangers’ lead over the Astros

Adolis Garcia smashed a solo home run to extend the Rangers' lead over the Astros

Bregman hit it off!

Alex Bregman cut the deficit to two with a home run of his own.

Alex Bregman smokes a solo home run, helps Astros and Rangers cut deficit

Alex Bregman smokes a solo home run, helps Astros and Rangers cut deficit

Game 7 Ivan!

Rangers rookie Evan Carter continued to rack up as his bases-loaded double down the right field line gave Texas two more runs.

Evan Carter and Adolis Garcia both hit two-run singles to extend the Rangers’ lead over the Astros.

Evan Carter and Adolis Garcia both hit two-run singles to extend the Rangers' lead over the Astros.

Who else but Adolis?

Garcia already has four RBIs in four innings in Game 7, extending the Rangers’ lead to 8-2. He is now up to 14 RBIs in this ALCS, a postseason streak record. The previous mark was held by Nelson Cruz, who was the Rangers’ right fielder when they were last in the ALCS in 2011.

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The vibes aren’t great in Houston

The Astros are about to embark on a historic rally or lose all four games of a seven-game series for the second time in five postseasons.

Brian Abreu in the game…and hit another Rangers slugger

Abreu, whose two-game suspension was upheld but extended to 2024, hit Mitch Carver with a fastball that clearly took him and was not intentional. Carver was in pain, but in the game.

Lowe’s stripes are one!

Nathaniel Lowe drove Abreu deep with a line drive that cleared the wall — and Kyle Tucker’s glove — in right field to give the Rangers a 10-2 lead.

Nathaniel Lowe crushed a two-run homer to extend the Rangers’ lead against the Astros.

Nathaniel Lowe crushed a two-run homer to extend the Rangers' lead against the Astros.

Adolis Garga makes history

As Fox Field reporter Tom Verducci explained to Ken Rosenthal why he predicted the Rangers would blow out the Astros, Garcia hit his fifth ALCS home run and 15 RBI, the best in a series in MLB history.

Adolis Garcia hit his second home run of the game to extend the Rangers’ lead over the Astros

Adolis Garcia hit his second home run of the game to extend the Rangers' lead over the Astros

Final: Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Philadelphia Phillies 1

Meryl Kelly struck out 8 against the Phillies in a 5-1 Diamondbacks victory

Meryl Kelly struck out 8 against the Phillies in a 5-1 Diamondbacks victory

Full highlights below:

Three kilos!

Aaron Nola was on fire to open the Citizens Bank affair, striking out the D-Bac’s first two batters before Gabriel Moreno hit a single up the middle. Nola recovered quickly, but Christian Walker was bowled by a fastball.

He paid them

Second, things looked very different for Nola on the pump. Tommy Baum silenced the Philly crowd with a line drive home run off a hanging curveball to give Arizona a 1-0 lead.

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Successive!

Lourdes Curiel Jr. took the fastball he wanted and put it over the left field wall to double the D-Backs’ lead.

The trifecta

Make it 3-0 Arizona. Evan Longoria jumped all over the first pitch heater from Nola and hit Alec Thomas from first base.

Resurrection!

JT Realmuto led off the second inning with a double to bring the Philly crowd back to life. Brandon Marsh turned on an inside pitch to double for the Phillies’ first run and put his teammate in scoring position.

Three-packer!

Nola went into a groove in innings three and four, but in the fifth, Arizona struck back, taking a 4-1 lead with a double by Corbin Carroll, followed by an RBI triple by Ketel Marte.

streaky swingin’

Ketel Marte earlier matched MLB’s postseason record by hitting safely in his 15th straight game. He had his second hit of the game in the top of the seventh to put Arizona up 5-1.

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