Astros back in ALCS after finishing off A’s
LOS ANGELES — Three years after a sign-stealing scheme propelled the Astros to their first championship, Houston’s star-studded lineup did little during the regular season to quiet criticism it could only hit when cheating.
Back in the postseason, they’re banging away as well as ever — no trash cans necessary.
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 Oakland Athletics 11-6 on Thursday to clinch their home run heavy AL Division Series in four games.
“We didn’t show this too much during the season, but this lineup can do this every night,” left fielder Kyle Tucker said.
Correa drove in five as the Astros — October villains to many a year after their espionage was exposed — advanced to the AL Championship Series for the fourth consecutive season. They improved to 5-1 in the playoffs after struggling to a 29-31 record in the pandemic-shortened season.
“This is a special team that has been here before,” Brantley said. “We have young guys that are leaning on the veterans and the veterans are taking care of them right now. No one guy has to carry this team when you have so many special players in the locker room like we do.”
It will be the Astros’ first ALCS under Dusty Baker, their 71-yearold manager. Baker earned his first closeout win since the 2003 NL Division Series, with the Cubs, 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.”
Houston will play either the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-seven ALCS in San Diego. The decisive Game 5 of the Rays-Yankees series is today.
The Astros and A’s combined for 24 homers — 12 each — the most in a postseason series of five games or fewer.
Much of the Astros’ damage came against Oakland’s vaunted bullpen. A’s relievers combined for a 6.27 ERA in the series, including six earned runs Thursday.
Facing elimination for the fourth time this postseason, Oakland’s Ramon Laureano hit a pair of homers, including a three-run shot in the second that gave the West champion A’s the early lead for the fourth straight game.
Houston starter Zack Greinke held up two fingers facing Laureano and catcher Martin Maldonado before Laureano homered 440 feet to left for a 3-0 lead. It might have appeared that Greinke was signaling his pitch, although he has at times used a hand signal to switch sign sets mid-inning.
“I just switched the pitch so I don’t waste time shaking off,” Greinke said. “Just a way to save some time.”
Frankie Montas couldn’t withstand Houston’s onslaught in the fourth, when the Astros sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five off the A’s starter.
Laureano’s leadoff homer in the fifth cut Oakland’s deficit to 5-4, but the A’s would get no closer.
“It just hurts. It hurts a lot,” outfielder Mark Canha said. “It felt like this was our year.”