Rays top Astros 4- 2 in Game 7, reach World Series
SAN DIEGO: Remarkable rookie Randy Arozarena homered again, 36-year-old Charlie Morton was brilliant against his former team and the Tampa Bay Rays reached the World Series for the second time, silencing the Houston Astros 4-2 Saturday night (early Sunday in Manila) in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series.
The Rays will face either the Los regular-season record (29-31). Angeles Dodgers or Atlanta Braves The loss ended Houston’s first in the World Series in Arlington, season since its sign-stealing scandal Texas starting Tuesday night. Game was revealed. The Astros were 7 of the NLCS is Sunday night. viewed by many fans as villains for
Tampa Bay’s only other World their role in the cheating scandal Series appearance was in 2008, en route to the 2017 title against when it lost to the Philadelphia the Dodgers, a scam that eventually Phillies in five games. cost manager AJ Hinch and general
The innovative Rays led the AL with manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs. a 40-20 record in the pandemic-shortened Under new manager Dusty Baker, season. Known for their pitching the Astros were trying to reach and defense, they also introduced the the World Series for the third time concept of the starter and sometimes in four seasons. They lost Game 7 deploy a four-man outfield. to Washington last year.
“You sit here and look at this Mike Zunino homered and group of guys, and I always say drove in two runs for the Rays, who we don’t have a lot of household avoided the ignominy of joining names, but at the same time, people the 2004 New York Yankees, who are making a name for themselves took a 3-0 lead in the ALCS and right now,” said outfielder lost four straight to the Red Sox. Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay’s Boston went on to win its first longest-tenured player. “And if you World Series in 86 seasons. don’t know the name by now, they Arozarena, relatively unknown better learn them, because we’ve before these playoffs, set a rookie we got some boys who can play.” record with his seventh homer
Right fielder Manuel Margot of the postseason. His 21 hits are squeezed Aldemys Diaz’s flyball in his one shy Derek Jeter’s 1996 rookie glove for the final out and fireworks postseason record. burst over the empty ballpark as the Nicknamed “The Cuban Rocket,” fun-loving Rays began to celebrate. the 25- year- old Arozarena
Arozarena was chosen as the drove a 1- 1 sinker from Lance ALCS MVP and did Cristiano Ronaldo’s McCullers Jr. to right-center field famous goal celebration dance. at Petco Park with one out in the
Tampa Bay snapped a threegame first for a two-run homer. losing streak and prevented Margot, who played with the San the Astros from matching the 2004 Diego Padres from late in the 2016 Boston Red Sox, the only major season until being traded to Tampa league team to rally from a 3-0 Bay in the offseason, was aboard deficit to win a seven-game series. after getting hit with a pitch.
The Rays also kept the Astros Arozarena defected from Cuba from becoming the first team to Mexico in 2015, signed with to win a pennant with a losing the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 and made his big league debut last year. Traded to Tampa Bay in the offseason, he tested positive for te cornavirus before summer camp and didn’t make his 2020 debut until August 30.
Until he started showing his October power, Arozarena was best known for a gaffe he committed while with the St. Louis Cardinals last postseason. After the Cardinals beat Atlanta in the NL Division Series, he posted manager Mike Schildt’s profane clubhouse rant to social media, not realizing it would get a negative reaction.
Morton held the Astros to two hits in 5 2/ 3 scoreless innings while striking out six and walking one. He retired 14 straight batters until walking Martin Maldonado with one out in the sixth. George Springer forced Maldonado and took third on José Altuve’s two-out infield single, and manager Kevin Cash pulled Morton after just 66 pitches. Nick Anderson came on and retired Michael Brantley.
“Cash made the right move again — shocker,” kidded ace Tyler Glasnow, now lined up to start the World Series opener.
Morton is the first major leaguer to earn the victory in four winner-take-all games, including Game 7 of the 2017 World Series and Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS against the Yankees when he was with Houston. He signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent before the 2019 season and won the wild card game at Oakland last year. The Rays were then eliminated by the Astros in the ALDS.
The Astros broke through against the Rays’ bullpen in the eighth. Carlos Correa hit a two-run single off Pete Fairbanks before the reliever struck out Alex Bregman on a 100 mph fastball.
Fairbanks worked around a oneout single in the ninth to close it for a save.
McCullers Jr. lasted only 3 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs and four hits, struck out seven and walked one.
Morton and McCullers became the first pair to pitch in the same winnertake-all postseason game as teammates and later start against each other in a winner-take-all game. In the decisive Game 7 of the 2017 World Series, McCullers started and went 2 1/3 scoreless innings while Morton pitched the final four innings for the victory.
Zunino hit a solo shot into the second deck in left off McCullers with one out in the second and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth. On Friday night, he snapped his bat over his knee in frustration after striking out on three pitches.