Houston came from behind to win 5-4 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the "2023 Major League" Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on the 21st. Houston was trailing by two losses until Game 2, but won three consecutive games from Game 3 to Game 5, succeeding in a three-game series victory and two losses.
Houston has set up its starting lineup with Jose Altuve (second baseman), Mauricio Dubon (center fielder), Alex Bregman (third baseman), Jorda Álvarez (designated hitter), Jose Abreu (first baseman), Kyle Tucker (right fielder), Chas McCormick (left fielder), Jeremy Peña (shortstop), and Martin Maldonado (catcher). The starting pitcher was veteran Justin Verlander.
Texas started by Marcus Simian (second baseman), Corey Seager (shortstop), Evan Carter (left fielder), Adolis Garcia (right fielder), Leody Taveras (center fielder), Josh Young (third baseman), Nathaniel Lowe (first baseman), Mitch Garber (designated hitter), and Jonah Haim (captor). The starting pitcher was Jordan Montgomery.
# Bregman first-up shot, Houston dreamt of winning three games in a row
Houston laughed first as it scored the first run in the top of the first inning. Two outs later, Bregman hit a solo shot to left-center to make it 1-0. On the ball count 1-1, Montgomery's sinker went high with a slight rush to the center, and Bregman connected with a home run.
Houston was on the upswing, winning Games 3 and 4. And Bregman's home run seemed to completely dampen Texas' momentum as he caught Game 5.
Veteran ace Verlander completely overpowered the Texas lineup until the fourth inning. Verlander continued the flow of scoring the first run by making three-and-out innings in succession in the first and second innings. In the bottom of the third inning, Garber was walked after one out and Haim hit a hit, putting him on the first and third bases with one out, but he held on without losing a point by dealing with Simian with a fly ball to first base and Seager with a fly ball to left field. Houston's lead continued in the fourth inning as it was completely blocked with three outs.
# Texas Lowe's tiebreaking shot...Garcia's 'Verlander Collapse' Reversal Fires
The Texas lineup, which had been quiet, exploded in the bottom of the fifth inning. After one out, Lowe hit a solo shot to the left to balance 1-1. He hit Verlander's 95.4 mph fastball with a 2-2 ball count.
Houston, who was thirsty for an additional point, scored a run in the top of the sixth inning. After one out, Bregman's walk and Álvarez's hit gave him a chance to take the first and third bases with one out, and Abreu hit a timely hit to lead 1-2. The ball bounced erratically in front of Texas shortstop Seager, leading to a timely hit. Texas starter Montgomery collapsed when he walked Tucker straight in the ongoing crisis with one out and runners on first and third bases, and the mound was replaced by Josh Svotz. Svotz cut Houston's flow well by turning the next two batters into a single.
Texas' big counterattack began in the bottom of the sixth inning. After one out, Seager hit a superior double to completely soothe the regret of the previous defense. Carter hit a left-handed hit and connected it with one out and runners on first and third bases, and Garcia stood at the plate. Garcia hit Verlander's first pitch, a 95 mph fastball, and hit a three-pointer that turned the left-center field. In an instant, the game turned around 2-4.
As soon as Garcia hit, he felt a home run and watched the ball. After confirming that the ball went over the fence, he roared loudly by throwing the bat he had in his hand late. And slowly started going around the ground. It was a home run and a ceremony that completely knocked down Verlander.
The internal injuries suffered by Verlander were large. Two outs later, he was replaced by Hector Neris after getting a left-handed hit by Young. Verlander was on the verge of losing the game after allowing only six hits (two homers) and one walk, three strikeouts and four runs in five ⅔ innings.
# "Did you get stabbed in the home run ceremony?" Garcia exploded at 159km of fire shot...Bench clearing
In the bottom of the eighth inning, when he was facing a tight race while maintaining a two-run gap. Bench clearing occurred. Leading hitter Carter walked to base. The next batter, Garcia, was very angry after being hit on the left forearm by opposing pitcher Brian Abreu's 98.9-mile (about 159km/h) fastball. Garcia immediately jumped at catcher Maldonado. Definitely protesting against empty balls.
Maldonado did not confront the angry Garcia and responded calmly with an expression of "no intention," but the bench-clearing took place anyway as the two players faced off. Houston was trailing by two points, and there were more opinions that it was not in a situation where an empty ball would come out because Garcia would be chased to first and second bases with no outs if he sent him to a dune, but it happened anyway.
Steven J. Nesbitt, a reporter for The Athletic, a U.S. sports media outlet, said, "The possibility of throwing a B-ball with Abreu is about 0.25%. However, he will be sent off."
The judges gathered and talked after the bench-clearing situation was settled. Houston declared the departure of pitcher Abreu, and manager Dusty Baker was sent off after protesting against the referee's rejection. Coach Baker sat in the coach's seat until the end and expressed dissatisfaction with the referee's decision to leave, but eventually stepped out of the dugout due to the persuasion of the referees and Houston coaches. In Texas, Garcia, who had a quarrel first, was sent off.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy expressed dissatisfaction with the bench-clearing situation after the game. It was read as a complaint about Baker's delay by staying on the bench during the referee's exit. Texas was able to draw more additional points by taking advantage of the opportunity with no outs and runners on first and second bases, which meant that it could not do so due to a time delay. Taveras grounded out to first baseman and Young and Lowe struck out, wasting an opportunity to score extra points in vainly.
Bochy said, "To be honest, it took too long (to resume the game). The whole thing was a real mess. Who knows what the intention was to drag it out. But this is not the first time this has happened," he said.
# Altuve Reversed With Reversed Guns...a miraculous reversal drama
Altuve worked in an atmosphere that allowed Houston to sink completely. Texas tried to keep the win by leaving it to Jose LeClark until the top of the ninth inning. However, leadoff hitter pinch hitter Yiner Díaz got a hit, pinch hitter John Singleton got a walk and connected it to a chance with no outs and runners on first and second, and Altuve scored a three-point turnaround to the left to turn the game around. LeClark's changeup was rolled up properly to turn the game around 5-4.
Houston left Ryan Pressley to finish in the bottom of the ninth. Presley was suddenly on the mound due to a bench-clearing incident in the bottom of the eighth inning. Presley seemed to offer Texas a chance to fight back by allowing a hit to the first two batters, but he kept the victory without giving up a follow-up hit. Presley won the game with two scoreless innings and a perfect pitch.
# Should we get an 80% chance for Houston.
Altuve, the MLB website of the Major League Baseball, hit a come-from-behind three-run against Texas closer LeClark, marking it as one of the strongest home runs in his postseason career history. It is Altuve's 26th home run in the postseason, and now if he hits three more, he will catch up with Manny Ramirez (29 home runs), who holds the most home runs record in the postseason.
Houston had an advantage until reaching the World Series. Houston won all four of its career games in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. It means they've never lost. Three of them were played at home and won all of them. Coincidentally, this year's Game 6 will be held at Houston's home stadium on the 23rd. Houston's upward trend from Game 3 can also be seen as an advantage over Texas.
In the history of the best-of-seven series in the Major League Baseball postseason, there is a 71% chance that the team ahead of it with 3 wins and 2 losses will advance to the next series. Of the 112 teams, 79 laughed. In addition, after the seven-game series changed to two (top-seeded home) - three (bottom-seeded home) - two (top-seeded home) games, the chances of winning the series soared to 80 percent as the team leading with three wins and two losses in away games until Game 5 played Game 6 and 7 at home. Twenty out of 25 teams were like that.
However, it is also worth noting that Houston is an exception. Houston was the only team to win games 3, 4 and 5 on the road against the Washington Nationals in the 2019 World Series. Even though he was ahead with three wins and two losses in the series, he has a painful memory of losing Game 6 and 7 and giving up the series.