‘ Cuban Rocket’ launches Rays to Game 1 victory
SAN DIEGO — Randy Arozarena homered again at Petco Park and Mike Zunino drove in the go- ahead run for the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Houston Astros 2- 1 Sunday night in the opener of the AL Championship Series.
Blake Snell gave up a home run to Jose Altuve and labored through the first inning on 29 pitches before the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner settled down to pitch f ive innings for the win.
Diego Castillo got the f ive outs for the save. He came on with the bases loaded with one out in the eighth and got out of it with one pitch when Yuli Gurriel grounded into a double play.
Aaron Loup had loaded the bases on a hit batter, walk and single.
Castillo threw 29 pitches in two innings Friday night in the 2- 1 win against the New York Yankees that clinched the AL Division Series.
“I was going to be ready,” he said through a translator. “I knew with the day off yesterday, I came to the stadium prepared. I just came ready to pitch.”
Tampa has leaned on its bullpen all season.
“I think the job he did sums up his whole year,” said Zunino, the catcher. “He stepped up big for us. He’s been throwing a lot in big situations for us.”
Game 2 is Monday afternoon when the Rays turn to 36- year- old Charlie Morton, who was with Houston when it won the 2017 World Series. Houston counters with Lance McCullers Jr.
The Astros, who got into the playoffs with a losing record, are in the ALCS for the fourth straight season and are trying to advance to the World Series for the third time in that span.
Tampa Bay is trying to reach its second World Series after losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.
Arozarena continued his breakout postseason with his fourth home run in six games, sending a 1- 2 pitch from Valdez to center field with one out in the fourth inning to tie it at 1.
He homered in each of the f irst three games of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees, also in San Diego.
Nicknamed “The Cuban Rocket,” Arozarena defected to Mexico in 2015 and signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016. He made his big league debut last year and was traded to the Rays in the offseason.
The only Rays with more homers in a postseason are Melvin Upton Jr. with seven and Evan Longoria six, both in 2008.