The Houston Astros evened the best-of-seven ALCS standings in two games each with a 10-3 win over the Texas Rangers in Game 4 on Thursday night.
Both starting pitchers struggled, allowing a total of six runs in three innings. Corey Seager overcame his ALCS loss with a home run and Astros first baseman Jose Abreu hit his fourth home run of the postseason. The Astros’ lead was threatened in the bottom of the fifth, but a replay credited Abreu with a potentially controversial double play that helped quell the threat.
There was a lot of talk before the game about the decision to leave Globe Life Field’s roof open Thursday night, but if anyone took advantage of these generally hitter-friendly changes, it was the visiting Astros.
While Game 5 will take place in Arlington, the 2-2 tie in the series ensures there will be at least a Game 6 in Houston.
Now for some takeaways from Game 4.
Andrew Heaney got off to a disastrous start and José Urquidy wasn’t much better
A day after the Rangers got just four innings from Game 3 starter Max Scherzer, Andrew Heaney gave them just two outs in his Game 4 start. Over those two-thirds of a frame, lefty Heaney allowed three runs on four hits with one walk and no strikeouts. He lasted 22 pitches.
Heaney was successful for Texas during the regular season, posting a 107 ERA+ in 28 starts and six relief appearances. However, it lacked any semblance of effectiveness on Thursday. When he left the game, the Astros had a better than 75% chance of winning Game 4 and closing out the series.
Not only does the Rangers put them in an unenviable position early, but they’re also dealing with bullpen fatigue issues heading into Game 5 on Friday.
As for Urquidy, he had secured an early 3-0 lead, but that disappeared in the third inning. He allowed a home run to Adolis García in the second game, and the Rangers tied it in the third. Urquidy’s line – 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER – would have been even worse had Ryne Stanek not relieved him and induced an inning-ending double play with his first pitch.
Yordan Alvarez narrowly missed a Grand Slam; José Abreu cleaned up the mess
Yordan Alvarez, the most productive hitter of the 2023 postseason so far, narrowly missed a game-winning grand slam in the fourth inning. Here’s a look:
This gave Alvarez’s powerful bat a speed of 110.7 miles per hour and an expected batting average of .890. According to Statcast, it would have been a home run in 17 of 30 MLB stadiums. However, perhaps Alvarez caught an unfortunate headwind (think open roof) that turned into a mere sack fly that gave Houston a 4-3 lead.
Baseball is a team sport, however, and soon after, José Abreu, a fellow hitter from Houston, arrived and undoubtedly picked up the remaining ducks on the pond. Ground control until the big bomb:
That’s a 438-foot shot that came at the expense of Cody Bradford and gave the Astros a 7-3 lead and long odds to win this best-of-seven series and ensure it’s a Game 6 in Houston will give.
The 36-year-old Abreu got off to an infamously poor start in his first season with the Astros, but he continued to perform more and more as usual down the stretch. He was even better in these playoffs:
As for Alvarez, he still went 2-for-4 with three RBI and now has an OPS of 1.522 heading into the 2023 postseason.
It’s time for a series reset
The Astros’ win means the ALCS is now essentially a best-of-three series, with Houston having home-field advantage as they will host Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7. On the other hand, the Astros have been better away from home than at home this season and the away team is undefeated so far this season. It’s also worth noting that for most playoff teams, the rotation reverts back to the front end after Game 4, and that’s the case in this case.
Next up is Game 5
Who will come out on top in the series when it heads back to Houston for Game 6? That’s the central question that will be answered in Game 5 on Friday. Historically, the team that is ahead 3-2 in a best-of-seven MLB postseason series wins that series more than 70% of the time. Needless to say, this next one is a big one.
The pitching matchup will be a replay of Game 1, with Justin Verlander pitching for the Astros against Jordan Montgomery. First pitch is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. ET.