Astros stay alive
Altuve and Springer provide the power and Greinke comes through in the clutch to avoid sweep.
Altuve and Springer hit home runs to spark win over Tampa Bay.
SAN DIEGO — George Springer broke a tie with a two- run homer, Jose Altuve also went deep and hit an RBI double, and Zack Greinke escaped a bases- loaded jam for the Houston Astros, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4- 3 on Wednesday night to stay alive in the American League Championship Series.
With Altuve atoning for his poor defense this series, the Astros f inally got their offense going after being pushed to the brink of a sweep. Seeking their third pennant in four seasons, they trail 3- 1 going into Game 5 on Thursday afternoon.
The Rays remain one win from going to the World Series for the second time in franchise history.
“I’m just happy that we won the game and on until tomorrow,” Springer said.
Greinke, bothered by a sore arm in the division series against Oakland, made only one big mistake when he allowed a two- run homer to rookie slugger Randy Arozarena that tied the score at two in the fourth.
Given a 4- 2 lead by Springer’s homer in the f ifth, Greinke’s biggest pitch came when he struck out Mike Brosseau on a 3- 2 changeup to end the sixth with the bases loaded.
After Greinke allowed consecutive singles by Manuel Margot and Austin Meadows with one out, manager Dusty Baker came out for a chat and decided to let the veteran right- hander continue. Arozarena struck out on a checkswing and Ji- Man Choi singled to load the bases before Greinke fanned Brosseau.
On Friday night, Brosseau hit a go- ahead homer in the eighth inning off Aroldis Chapman of the
New York Yankees that carried the Rays to a 2- 1 victory in the Game 5 clincher of the ALDS.
Greinke held the Rays to two runs and five hits in six innings for his first postseason win since 2015.
Astros rookie Cristian Javier pitched two innings of one- hit relief before walking Choi to open the ninth. Ryan Pressly came on and got an out before Willy Adames hit an RBI double off the bottom of the left- center wall. Pressly got rookie Yoshi Tsutsugo on a f ly to right for the save.
Rays towering right- hander Ty
ler Glasnow also went six innings, allowing four runs and eight hits while striking out five and walking two.
Altuve hit a solo homer in the first and an RBI double in the third for a 2- 0 lead. His offense helped make up for his three errors that helped the Rays win Games 2 and 3 to move to the cusp of their f irst World Series since 2008.
Altuve homered for the second straight game and third time this series, all in the first inning.
He and Springer are tied for the most homers in Astros postseason
history with 18. Altuve drove a 1- 0 pitch from Glasnow to left just after the Rays turned a 3- 6- 3 double play.
Altuve doubled into the rightf ield corner with two outs in the third to bring in Martin Maldonado, who drew a leadoff walk and advanced on Springer’s grounder. Arozarena homered in the leftf ield corner with one out in the fourth to tie the game at two.
An inning later, Springer oneupped him when he hit a two- run shot to regain the lead for the Astros.