BRAVES, ASTROS REACH LCS ROUND
4th straight ALCS trip set after series win vs. A’s
Rookie pitcher Kyle Wright (pictured) helps Atlanta sweep Miami, while Carlos Correa's three-run homer lifts Houston to a series-clinching victory over Oakland.
LOS ANGELES — Carlos Correa hit a go-ahead, three-run homer after Michael Brantley’s two-run shot in the fourth inning, helping the Astros beat the Athletics 11-6 on Thursday to clinch their home-run heavy AL Division Series in four games.
Correa drove in five as the Astros — October villains to many a year after their sign-stealing scandal was exposed — advanced to the AL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season.
It will be their first ALCS under Dusty Baker, their 71-year-old manager. Baker earned his first closeout win since the 2003 NL Division Series and improved to 4-13 in closeouts.
“It’s been a long, tough road, but we’re halfway there,” Baker said. “I’m thankful and happy, but I still got some happiness left to give.”
The Astros and A’s combined for 24 homers — 12 each — the most in a postseason series of five games or fewer.
The Astros clinched at Dodger Stadium, where they won the 2017 World Series in seven games. The Astros’ sign-stealing scheme used during their title run was revealed last year by former teammate and current A’s pitcher Mike Fiers, who didn’t pitch in this series.
The scandal led to season-long suspensions of Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch, who both were fired. Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Mets man
ager Carlos Beltrán also lost their jobs as fallout their roles with the ’17 Astros, and the Astros still draw ire of other players and fans.
Correa said outside opinions did nothing to motivate the team.
“We’re motivated because we want to win and we want to bring another championship to the city of Houston,” he said. “We know what it feels like and we want to have that feeling again.”
The Astros’ star-loaded lineup did little during the regular season to quiet criticism that the club could only hit when it was stealing signs. The Astros ranked 20th in the majors with a .240 average and 14th with 279 runs.
The slump continued through the wild-card round before the Astros
turned Dodger Stadium into a launching pad against the A’s. The Astros batted .322 in the ALDS, with Correa, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker each batting over .400, and George Springer at .389.
“We never gave up because we had a down year offensively,” Correa said. “We kept going to the cage. That helped us in this series.”
Much of that damage came against AL West champions’ vaunted bullpen. A’s relievers combined for a 6.27 ERA in the series, including six earned runs Thursday.
Astros starter Zack Greinke, who had experienced arm soreness that kept him from starting Game 3, allowed four runs and five hits in 42⁄
3 innings. He struck out four and walked one.