With Monday’s win in ALCS Game 7, the Texas Rangers advance to the World Series to face the winner of Tuesday’s NLCS Game 7 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Houston Astros, meanwhile, saw their World Series defense come to an end.
This embedded content is not available in your region.
Texas Rangers at Houston Astros, ALCS Game 7: Rangers 11, Astros 4 (Texas won 4-3)
Game summary:
The Texas Rangers are your AL champions – in a big way. Led by a scorching Adolis García, the Rangers put on an offensive clinic on Monday in an 11-4 victory over the Astros in Game 7. The win clinched a 4-3 series victory that saw the road team that won every competition.
The Rangers jumped out of the gate with a three-run first inning, chasing Astros starter Cristian Javier in the process. The Astros threatened to answer after José Altuve hit a leadoff double off Max Scherzer in the bottom of the first. He came around to score, but a double play ended the Astros’ threat, and Texas left the first with a 3-1 lead.
The teams then traded runs in the third, with Texas scoring on a García solo home run, and the Rangers entering the fourth with a 4-2 lead. From there, they converged.
Texas loaded the bases in the fourth, setting up Evan Carter for a two-run double to extend the lead to 6-2. García then cleared the bases with a two-run single that extended the lead to 8-2 and effectively put the game out of reach.
The Rangers did more damage before the night was over, with a home run from Nathaniel Lowe and another from García, to go to the World Series on an offensive tear.
the The win kept Rangers manager Bruce Bochy undefeated in Game 7s, while Astros manager Dusty Baker has yet to see his team win one.
Important moment:
The Rangers set the tone from the opening inning Monday. Javier induced a ground ball from Marcus Semien for the first out of the game. He will not record another.
Corey Seager started the scoring with an upper-deck blast to right field for a 1-0 Rangers lead.
García followed with an RBI single to score Carter from second on a force single that bounced off the left-field wall for a near home run.
García was stranded at first after standing up to admire his lackluster home run. But he made up for it by stealing second and coming home to score on Mitch Garver’s bloop single.
Jonah Heim then singled to put runners on the corners. Rangers had a 3-0 lead they would never relinquish, and Javier’s day was over after he scored just one.
From there, the Rangers pounded the Astros’ bullpen, and Houston’s bats couldn’t catch up.
Impact player:
It’s easy. García extended his historic offensive tear in a Game 7 for the ages en route to ALCS MVP honors. The All-Star outfielder finished the night 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three runs scored, five RBIs and a stolen base.
After his response to a hit-by-pitch in Game 5 prompted the dugouts to clear and led to his ejection — as well as that of Baker and Astros reliever Bryan Abreu — García left Houston with a you satisfying last laugh.
He started the night with an RBI single, a stolen base and a score that gave Texas a 2-0 lead. Greeted at the plate by boos in the third, García responded with a line drive to right field that lined up for his first home run of the night — and a response to meet the moment.
In the eighth, he added another solo shot, adding to his historic postseason tally. García now owns the Rangers record for RBI in a postseason, with 20.
His 20 RBI in 12 games is usually by a player in the postseason before the start of the World Series. The record including the World Series is 21, posted by David Freese for 2011 St. Louis Cardinals.
Garcia’s 15 RBI in the ALCS was the most frequent in a postseason series. He finished this ALCS with at least one home run in four straight games and five overall after hitting two on Monday. His effort will long be remembered.
What’s next?
The Rangers are in the World Series, where they will face the winner of Tuesday’s NLCS Game 7 between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies.
World Series Game 1 is Friday in Arlington, Texas.