Arozarena homers, Rays edge Astros 2-1 in ALCS opener
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 on Sunday in the opener of the AL Championship Series.
Blake Snell allowed Jose Altuve’s homer as he labored through the first inning on 29 pitches before
the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner settled down to pitch five innings for the win.
Diego Castillo got five 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. We had an idea who we might be able to go to, but him coming in there showing what he’s made out of says a lot about what those guys in the bullpen have done for us all year.” Game 2 is today.
Zunino singled past diving shortstop Carlos Correa to bring in Willy Adames with the go-ahead run with two outs in the fifth off lefty Framber Valdez.
Arozarena continued his breakout postseason with his fourth homer in six games, sending a 1-2 pitch from Valdez to center field with one out in the fourth to tie it at 1. He homered in each of the first three games of the ALDS, also in San Diego.
“They’ve got a lot of weapons over there where they can mix and match, and we tried to keep the right-handed side of their lineup in there tonight, which we did,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “Everything went according to plan tonight, other than winning the game.”