Springer, Astros win to force Game 7

SANDIEGO » George Springer and José Altuve keyed a four- run rally in the fifth inning, FramberValdéz pitched six brilliant innings and the Houston Astros beat the Tampa Bay Rays for the third straight game, 7- 4 Friday to force a decidingGame 7 of theAL Championship Series.

Houston chased starter Blake Snell in the fifth before Springer hit a goahead, two- run single and scored on Altuve’s double. Carlos Correa, who hit awalkoffhome runinThursdaynight’s 4- 3 win, added anRBI single.

The Astros are one win away from their thirdWorld Series in four seasons and joining the2004BostonRedSoxas the only teamsto rally froma 3- 0 deficit towinaseven- gameseries. TheRedSox stunned the Yankees to win the ALCS before winning their firstWorld Series in 86 seasons.

Otherwise, big league clubs leading 3- 0 inabest- of- sevenpostseasonseries are 37- 1.

Hoiuston also is trying to become the first team to win a pennantwith a losing regular season record ( 29- 31). The Astros have been criticized for their role in a cheating scandal en route to the 2017 title.

Manuel Margot homered twice and drove in three runs for the Rays, who afterblowing the3- 0series leadremain one win away from the second World Series in franchise history and moved within one loss from joining the 2004 Yankees in ignominy.

Game 7 on Saturday will feature the pitcherswho started and finishedHouston’s Game 7 win against the Dodgers in the 2017World Series. Right- hander Lance McCullers Jr. will go for the Astros while 36- year- old Charlie Morton is expected to start for the Rays. In the decisive Game 7 in 2017, McCullers started and went 2.1 scoreless innings whileMorton pitched the final four innings for the victory.

It’s also a rematch ofGame 2 of this series, won4- 2byMortonandtheRays.

Valdéz ( 3- 1), who lost the opener of this series 2- 1 to Snell ( 2- 2), held the Astros to one runand threehitswhile striking out nine and walking three in his third career postseason start. He allowed Willy Adames RBI double to left in the second.

Astros closer Ryan Pressly pitched for the third straight day andgot his second save to go with a win in Game 5. He allowed Yoshitomo Tsutsugo’s one- out single, then inducedMike Brosseau’s gameending double- play grounder.