Historic comeback one win away
Astros on the brink of completing rally from 3-0 series deficit
SAN DIEGO— George Springer and Jose Altuve keyed a four-run rally in the fifth inning, Framber Valdez pitched six strong innings and the Astros beat the Rays for the third consecutive game with a 7-4 victory Friday to force a deciding Game 7 in the American League Championship Series.
The Astros chased Rays starter Blake Snell in the fifth before Springer hit a go-ahead, two-run single against reliever Diego Castillo and scored on a double by Altuve. Carlos Correa, who hit a walk-off home run in the Astros’ 4-3 victory Thursday, added an RBI single.
The Astros are one victory away from reaching their third World Series in four seasons and joining the 2004 Red Sox as the only teams to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series. The Red Sox stunned the Yankees to win the ALCS that season before going on to capture their first World Series title in 86 seasons.
Other than that, major-league teams leading 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series are 37-1.
‘‘We’re not through writing history,’’ Astros manager Dusty Baker said. ‘‘We’re hoping we can have a happy ending to this historic season and historic year.’’
The Astros also are trying to become the first team to win a pennant with a losing regular-season record (29-31). They have been criticized for stealing signs on their way to winning the title in 2017. That scandal was uncovered last offseason.
‘‘This team’s battled back big time,’’ Baker said. ‘‘You’ve got to love this team. Or some people hate this team. But, I mean, you’ve at least got to respect this team, the way that they’ve worked.’’
Manuel Margot homered twice
and drove in three runs for the Rays, who remain one victory away from reaching the World Series for only the second time in franchise history despite squandering a 3-0 lead in the series.
Game 7 on Saturday will feature the pitchers who started and finished the Astros’ Game 7 victory against the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series. Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will go for the Astros,
and right-hander Charlie Morton is expected to start for the Rays. In Game 7 in 2017, McCullers started and pitched 2„ scoreless innings and Morton pitched the last four innings. Morton signed with the Rays before the 2019 season.
‘‘We’ve just got to bounce back,’’ Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ‘‘This isn’t the scenario that we wanted leading 3-0, but this is a resilient group. Encouraged that
the offense kind of got going there. Look for some carryover.
‘‘There’s no doubt the momentum has shifted, but I would bet on this team being very capable of bouncing back.’’
Valdez, who lost the opener of the series 2-1 to Snell, held the Rays to one run and three hits, struck out nine and walked three in his third career postseason start. The only run he allowed came on an RBI double by Willy Adames in the second.
Astros closer Ryan Pressly pitched for the third consecutive day and got three outs for his second save to go with a victory in Game 5. He allowed a single to Yoshitomo Tsutsugo with one out in the ninth, then induced Mike Brosseau to hit into a game-ending double play. Pressly threw nine pitches, all for strikes, raising his three-day total to 39.