Astros win 4-3 against Tampa Bay to avoid elimination in ALCS.
First win comes on 2 RBIs by Altuve, HR by Springer
SAN DIEGO — Cameras caught Jose Altuve’s every move: from dirt to grass, from foul to fair, from dugout to second base. The baseball world fixated on Altuve, the Astros’ afflicted second baseman with only one more evening guaranteed for atonement. Two game-altering throwing errors still hung over him. He opted not to speak after either loss, the final of which put the Astros one game from elimination.
“It’s not easy to do things against your team,” Altuve said on Wednesday. “You’re always trying to help your team. For me to not contribute and not help my team play good, I felt bad.”
Teammates supported their struggling superstar. Manager Dusty Baker de
clined to pull him from second base and urged him to flush it. The Astros got here because of him, Baker said. And they’ll play one more day as a result of his redemption. Altuve drove in two of the Astros’ four runs in Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Rays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. He made two uneventful throws to bases, too, perhaps exorcising his demons from Games 2 and 3. “You don’t have a choice,” Altuve said. “It was win today or go home and I didn’t want to go home. I turned the page really quick and showed up today to help my team.” “That’s things that happen in baseball. I left that in the past and I showed up today ready to play some baseball and help my team.” Altuve’s solo home run in the first inning briefly afforded Altuve the franchise record for postseason homers. The dugout offered a loud cheer as soon as Altuve’s ball landed in the seats. George Springer tied him with a two-run shot in the fifth. Both have now mashed 18 postseason home runs, tying them with Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson for fifth on the sport’s all-time list. “It’s something special," Springer said of Altuve's night. "He obviously takes a lot of things to heart. He prides himself in every aspect of his game. I think he’s starting to show people again who he is as a player. Our guys believe in him. He’s our leader, and he’s doing kind of just what we expect him to do.” A time for reflection could arrive later. Now, the Astros are in survival mode. Wednesday’s win trimmed Tampa Bay’s series lead to 3-1. Houston’s task is still daunting. Only one team (2004 Red Sox in the ALCS) has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a seven-game series. The Astros still require three straight wins and have depleted much of their starting pitching depth. Closer Ryan Pressly, one of the team’s few trusted relievers, produced little confidence in the ninth inning. He yielded a long double to Willy Adames, who advanced to third as the tying run with two outs. Yoshi Tsutsugo lined out to center field, giving the Astros’ season another day. “I’m not ready to go home,” Baker said. “Nobody’s ready to go home. We’re ready to go to Dallas (for the World Series).” Altuve paced a nine-hit night for the Astros’ offense. Springer’s home run sunk Rays starter Tyler Glasnow, who skirted serious trouble all night. Springer’s blast was the first of Houston’s six home runs this series to arrive with a runner aboard. The Rays had not lost during Glasnow’s last 11 starts, a stretch in which he produced a 1.06 WHIP. Glasnow threw 37 pitches on two days’ rest to begin Tampa’s 2-1 win against the Yankees in Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Friday. Another chance to clinch a series appeared on Wednesday. Glasnow got the baseball again. He could not deliver. The Astros struck eight hits across his six innings of work. Glasnow punched out five, pounding Houston with a plethora of 100 mph fastballs and filthy curveballs. Still, Astros hitters swung and missed just 11 times on 96 pitches. Altuve mashed Glasnow’s ninth pitch of the game into the left field seats. Springer launched an elevated fourseamer on top of the Western Supply building in left field, affording starter Zack Greinke long-awaited support. Greinke gave a performance befitting of his pedigree. He had not finished six innings since Sept. 8. Each of his first two postseason starts ended before the fifth. On Wednesday, Houston’s season resided on Greinke’s right arm. Baker knew it — and rode this pitching staff’s substitute ace. Greinke got through six innings of two-run ball. His 93 pitches were the most since Sept. 3. Rays wunderkind rookie Randy Arozarena annihilated Greinke’s most massive mistake, a hanging curveball in the fourth inning. Tampa’s three-hole hitter parked it into the left field seats, tying the game. Arozarena arrived again in the sixth with two men aboard and one out. Baker came from the dugout. Closer Ryan Pressly was ready in the bullpen. Baker met his infield on the mound. Catcher Martín Maldonado did most of the talking. “Maldy said he can get this guy,” Baker said. “I was thinking about putting Pressly in the game right then. It was a big situation. But Zack, this guy’s been out there many, many, many times. I usually don’t change my mind, but I really hadn’t had my mind really, really made up.” Pressly descended the stairs. Baker did not summon him, instead allowing Arozarena to see Greinke a third time. “I can’t lie to you,” Baker said, “there were some prayers involved on the way back to the dugout.” Greinke struck out Arozarena on four pitches. The slugger swung through a wicked 1-2 changeup. Seven of the Rays’ 11 whiffs against Greinke arrived on the changeup. Cleanup man Ji-Man Choi cranked an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop to load the bases. Pressly stood ready. Baker stuck with Greinke. Looming was Mike Brosseau, who won Tampa Bay the Division Series with a home run off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in Game 5 and drew rave reviews across the league. Carlos Correa tweeted it was an “ELITE AB.” Springer called it an at-bat for the ages. Greinke worked with no margin for error. He buried a 2-2 changeup that Brosseau did not chase. Greinke gave another changeup. Brosseau waved through it. Maldonado pumped his fists and waved his arms. Greinke strolled off the field with no emotion. Maldonado met him at the dugout. Suddenly, a smile appeared.