Rangers vs Astros summary online: stats, scores and highlights | MLB ALCS Game 1 highlights
Rangers take Game 1 on the road in Houston
Montgomery, Carter shine as Texas step out in front
There is one thing that the Texas Rangers have done as well as anybody this season, and in fact better than almost everybody. Score runs. Tonight, they showed that they could win games defensively as well, grinding out a 2-0 win over a Houston Astros team that is every bit as dangerous with a bat in their hands as the Rangers are.
Jordan Montgomery was sizzling in blanking the Astros over 6.1 innings, before Sborz, Chapman, and Leclerc finished the job. But in a post season tale that just keeps on giving, it was the play of rookie left fielder Evan Carter that saved the day.
Having scored in the second inning when a double was followed up by a Jonah Heim single, Carter made great catch after great catch all through the game, helping to keep the base paths clear of Astros. Leody Taveras blasted a solo shot in the fifth to make the Rangers lead 2-0. But it was in the bottom of the eighth that the final nail was hammered into Houston's coffin.
With José Altuve on first and no outs, Alex Bregman hit a bomb, deep into the corner by the Crawford Boxes, the deepest part of Minute Maid Park. Any other part of the outfield and this is a home run. But there, right there, it was available for Evan Carter's glove. He leapt up and made a spectacular catch, one that was not at all a sure thing, and then threw the ball back in to second base.
In a bizarre twist, one that is mystifying given who it was, but José Altuve failed to touch second base on his way back to first, having rounded the bag on the hit. On appeal from the Rangers, he was called out and the strangest 7-6-4 double play you will ever see killed off the last gasp of an Astros threat.
The Astros are not by any means concerned by this loss. They are a team who can, have, and will bounce back from this kind of thing. But for the Astros faithful who were putting too much stock in that regular season sweep of the Rangers just five weeks ago, it is perhaps a rude awakening. The Rangers have no intention of rolling over, and if Houston want to go back to the World Series, they are going to have to claw their way there, inch by inch.
Game two will see two more giants on the mound as the Rangers will field Nathan Eovaldi, who has been lights out for most of the season, and especially through these playoffs, while the Astros will tap their own strikout artist in Framber Valdez.
Goodbye!
That is going to do it for our live coverage of ALCS Game 1 between the Rangers and the Astros. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
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We will return tomorrow with a double header as we bring you Game 2 coverage of the Rangers and Astros in the ALCS followed by live coverage of the Diamondbacks and Phillies in Game 1 of the NLCS.
Until then, good night and God bless!
Rangers win!
Chas McCormick the hitter now, representing the last chance for the Astros. Leclerc goes inside and nearly hits McCormick twice. The count runs to 3-2 before the payoff pitch is tipped into the coatcher's mitt! The Rangers win!
Kyle Tucker up now and he runs the count to 2-2 before tapping one to second. A broken bat, slow roller and Tucker can really run! Semien gets the throw off and it beats Tucker by a fraction! Two down.
Bottom 9th
José Abreu will lead off for the Astros in the bottom of the ninth. Leclerc misses with three pitches before Abreu lifts one to deep center field. Taveras goes back and hauls it in and there is one down.
Pitching change
The Rangers will send out closer Jose Leclerc to take over from Aroldis Chapman and see if he can slam the door.
Nathaniel Lowe the hitter now and he can't hold up on a check swing for strike three.
Jonah Heim now up and he jumps on the first pitch, grounding one to shortstop. Jeremy Peña's throw to first is in time. Two gone.
Top 9th
Evan Carter leads off for the Rangers in the ninth and goes down looking on a beautiful fastball that runs the bottom rail.
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Pitching change
Bryan Abreu will come in to pitch for Houston, replacing Hector Neris.
Yordan Alvarez up now and he grounds out softly to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to end the inning.
Replay
The Rangers challenge the fact that they think that Altuve didn't retouch second base when he went back to second on the play. They win the appeal! Altuve is out!
I will look for a video of the incident because it is confusing. Jose Altuve went to second and touched the bag. When Carter made the catch, he had to touch second base again on his way back to first, and he did not do that.
Alex Bregaman comes to the plate now representing the tying run with nobody out. Chapman's delivery misses low. He gets a slider across for a strike before missing with a high fastball. Bregman cranks the 2-1 to left field! It is hit a long way, to the deepest part of the park! Evan Carter leaps and catches it for the out!
Pitching change
Bruce Bochy is taking no chances and immediatley calls for Aroldis Chapman to take over from Josh Sborz.
Bottom 8th
José Altuve gets things started in the eighth for the Astros and he fouls one off before Sborz misses with three pitches. The 3-1 misses low on a pretty good pitch. Called ball four and Altuve gets a leadoff walk. Again, the Astros got lucky with that call.
Adolis García up now and he pops one sky high to short stop. Jeremy Peña camps out under it and hauls it in to end the inning. The Rangers go 1-2-3
Mitch Garver the hitter now and he plops a little roller up the middle for Altuve. The throw to first is in time for the second out.
Top 8th
Corey Seager leads off for the Rangers in the eighth as Yainer Díaz takes over behind the plate for the Astros. Neris delivers three balls and Seager fouls the next two off to run the count full. Neris' payoff is a lovely low splitter that gets Seager swinging for strike three.
Pinch hitter
Yainer Diaz will hit for Martín Maldonado and he jumps on the first delivery, grounding one sharply to shortstop. Corey Seager has to hurry and the throw to first is in time to end the inning.
Jeremy Peña will face the new pitcher and he pops one to center field but straight at Taveras. Two down.
Pitching change
That massive shot was enough for Bruce Bochy, and he comes out and takes the ball from Jordan Montgomery, calling for Josh Sborz to take over on the mound.
The very next pitch is lined into center field and Taveras charges and makes the catch for the first out.
Bottom 7th
Mauricio Dubón will lead us off in the bottom half of the seventh and he hammers a shot to left! It hooks foul! But oh my, he got ahold of that!
Marcus Semien up now with two down and runners on first and second, facing the new pitcher. Neris with all fastballs and Semien lifts one into foul ground on the first base side. José Abreu comes over and puts it away for the third out.
Pitching change
Dusty Baker walks out to the mound and takes the ball, calling for Hector Neris to take over on the mound.
Leody Taveras the hitter and he gets jammed, nubbing one into center field for a two out single. Heim advances to second and that will do it for Verlander.
Josh Jung up now and Verlander stays low and away, getting Jung to chase two while leaving three. Yet another full count and yet another payoff from Verlander. He stays low and away and Jung chases for strike three.
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Nathaniel Lowe the hitter now and he fouls off two and holds off on three to run the count full again. Verlander's payoff is a beautiful fastball on the top inside corner for a called strike three. One down.
Top 7th
Jonah Heim to get things going in the seventh for Texas and Verlander misses the first three pitches before getting a strike in there. Heim fouls off the next delivery to run the count full. Verlander's payoff misses low and Heim draws a leadoff walk.
Chas McCormick the hitter and he goes after the first pitch, rolling it to third. Josh Jung's throw to first ends the inning, and the Astros go 1-2-3 and after six, it is 2-0 Rangers.
Kyle Tucker up now and he taps one back to the mound. Montgomery makes the throw to first for out number two.
Bottom 6th
José Abreu will lead things off here and Montgomery goes straight after him, getting him to foul off three curveballs before swinging through one for strike three.
Evan Carter the hitter now with two down and he ropes one into right field, but Kyle Tucker is right there to end the inning.
Adolis García up now and he pops a high foul by first base. José Abreu comes over and puts it away for the second out.
Top 6th
Mitch Garver leads off the sixth for the Rangers and he swings at two strikes before watching a called strike three.
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Yordan Álvarez the hitter now and Montgomery is working the bottom end of that zone, getting Yordan to swing and miss at the third strike for the third time tonight!
Alex Bregman up now and he rolls an easy grounder to short for Corey Seager. The routine throw to first gets the out. Two down.
Bottom 5th
Jose Altuve leads off for Houston and he jumps all over the second pitch, lining a deep shot to the left field corner. Evan Carter is on the dead run and catches up to it! Man, did he cover some ground!
Corey Seager up now and he digs a hole for himself quickly at 0-2. An insane curveball from Verlander falls off the table completely, getting Seager swinging for strike three! What a beautiful pitch!
The Rangers add one more, doubling the lead to 2-0 on a Leody Taveras home run.
Marcus Semien the hitter now and he runs the count to 2-2 before lining one to center field. Mauricio Dubón on the run, dives and makes the catch! What a play!
Two away now
LEODY TAVERAS HOME RUN!
Leody Taveras up now and he blasts a line drive over the right field wall! That was straight as an arrow all the way out! No doubt at all!
Top 5th
Josh Jung will lead things off for the Rangers in the fifth and he runs the count full. The payoff delivery from Verlander is called a strike for the first out. The Astros got lucky there! That was defiinitely a ball.
Montgomery is not likely to get Maldonado to chase any garbage. Not a strong bat, Maldonado is a clever hitter nonetheless.
The count goes to 1-2 and the delivery is a beautiful high fastball that Maldonado can't catch up to. Jordan Montgomery gets out of a jam and the Astros strand three more.
Martín Maldonado to hit now with two outs and the bases loaded. The Rangers are in a tight spot here!
Jeremy Peña shoots a line drive to left for another single! Evan Carter is there, playing shallow, and he charges and throws in. McCormick was held at third and it was a good thing too. He would have had no chance.
Mauricio Dubón the hitter and he jumps all over the first delivery, ripping it into left for a single. Back to back singles with two outs for the Astros put runners on first and second!
Chas McCormick up now and he rips a shot to right center field for a two out single.
Kyle Tucker the hitter now and he lifts a high fly ball to shallow center field. Leody Taveras comes in and catches it for out number two.
Bottom 4th
José Abreu will get things going for the Astros here in the fourth. Two curveballs are swung on and missed. He really has that curve locked in today!
The high fastball gets Abreu swinging for strike three.
Nathaniel Lowe the hitter now and he drives a long shot to left field, but directly at Chas McCormick, who puts it away to end the inning.
Jonah Heim up now and he lifts a pop foul into the space behind third. Alex Bregman makes the run over and puts it away for an out. Two down.
Top 4th
Evan Carter leads off for the Rangers and jumps on the first pitch, grounding it sharply to second. Jose Altuve gets to it and makes the throw to first for the first out.
Álvarez fouls two off and takes a couple of balls to run the count full. The payoff is that curve again, getting Álvarez to swing and miss! What a peach of a pitch!
The Astros strand two and after three we are still locked at 1-0 Texas.
The Rangers have a pow wow on the mound and Montgomery's first delivery misses for ball one.
Yordan Álvarez up now and this is exactly what the Astros want. Two on, two out, and their best hitter up to the plate.
Alex Bregman the hitter now and he works a full count as well. The payoff from Montgomery is lined into left, down the line! Evan Carter gets to it and Maldonado is held up at second!
Back to the top of the order and José Altuve with one on and one out. He pops one into short right field. Semien drifts back and picks it for the second out.
Martín Maldonado up now and he works the count full. The payoff from Montgomery is outside for a one out walk.
Bottom 3rd
Jeremy Peña will lead off for Houston and he dribbles a slow chopper to short for Seager. The throw to first is in time for the first out.
García fouls another off and he is in a hole 0-2 here. He lays off two balls before popping one straight up in the air to end the inning.
Adolis García the hitter and he drives the first pitch a mile to right field! But foul! Just missed one there.
Mitch Garver up now and he reaches for a slider, lifting it to center field. Mauricio Dubón drifts over and pulls it down for the second out.
Top 3rd
Corey Seager to lead off for the Rangers and he lifts a high pop up into foul territory by third. Alex Bregman makes a long run, but gets to it for the first out.
Mauricio Dubón up now and he hits a hard shot to deep right field, onto the warning track, but Adolis García is there to put it away and end the inning.
The Astros strand one, and after two innings it is Texas 1, Houston 0.
Chas McCormick the hitter now and he lifts one out to dead center, but directly at Leody Taveras for out number two.
Kyle Tucker up now and he rips one toward the hole at first, but Marcus Semien is able to get to it! He throws low to second base and gets the out. One down on the fielder's choice.
Bottom 2nd
José Abreu will lead things off for the Astros in the second and he works the count full before Montgomery's payoff delivery is lined into left field, falling in for a single! Houston have their first hit of the ballgame.
Semien fouls off two more and on the seventh delivery of the at-bat, he pops one up to shallow center field. Altuve drifts back and pulls it down to end the inning.
The Rangers strand three, but get on the board first.
Marcus Semien is up now and the bases are loaded with two outs. Verlander's first two pitches are balls and that is six straight balls he has thrown.
The next two pitches are fouled off and it is 2-2.
Leody Taveras the hitter and he takes a pitch. Whew! It has been non stop! The Rangers have all been jumping on first or second deliveries this inning.
Three more follow and Taveras walks on four straight to load the bases.
Josh Jung up now and he goes after the second pitch, ripping a line drive to left field for another single! Jonah Heim goes to second.
Nathaniel Lowe jumps on the first pitch and lifts one deep to center for Mauricio Dubon. Two down
Rangers score
Jonah Heim up now and he cranks a line drive into center field, and it falls in for a single! Carter has wheels and he rounds third and the throw to the plate is not in time!
The Rangers open the scoring up here in the second.
He rips a bullet at first and it is too hot for Abreu to handle! It comes off his glove and deflects into right field. Carter rounds first and goes for second! He is speedy! The throw from Kyle Tucker is not in time and he has a double.
Evan Carter the hitter now and he is a very disciplined hitter, doesn't like to expand the strike zone at all.
Top 2nd
Adolis Garcia leads off for the Rangers and jumps on the first delivery, rolling it to short stop. Jeremy Peña goes to first. One pitch, one out.
Yordan Álvarez the hitter and he fouls two off, falling behind 1-2, before a huge curveball gets the swing and miss to end the inning!
Alex Bregman up now for Houston and he raps the second delivery into the corner in left field. Evan Carter, on the run, leaps and makes the catch! Great play! Two down now for the Rangers here.
The 1-1 delivery is ripped hard and long to left center field, but Evan Carter is able to get under it for the first out.
Altuve unusually takes the first pitch for a strike, he usually loves to swing early!
Bottom 1st
The Rangers head out to field behind their own ace in Jordan Montgomery. He will face José Altuve to lead off this Astros lineup.
Double play
Mitch Garver up now and he taps a slow hopper back to the mound. Verlander turns and goes to second. Altuve on to first to complete the 1-4-3 double play!
Corey Seager now the hitter and he jumps on the first pitch, poking it past Abreu and into right for a single.
Semien falls behind in the count 1-2 before he slaps a little chopper up the middle. Altuve is there and his throw to first is off line! Abreu goes up and nabs it, making the spinning tag for the out!
Minute Maid Park is packed and rocking!
First Pitch
We are ready to go!
The Astros are on the field and Justin Verlander is on the mound tonight for them. Marcus Semien will take his usual spot, leading off for the Rangers.
The umpire is ready, the coaches are ready, play ball is called and Verlander delivers a fastball for a strike.
We are off!
Warmup
Both teams are warmed up and ready to go. The Astros will take the field shortly.
As the 2023 MLB pennant race enters its final phase, we take a look at just what the pennant is, what it means, and how it all came to be.
The most exciting time of the year is October, as hazy memories of summer slip over the horizon and the air grows crisp and the excitement of the approaching World Series fills the nostrils.
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Read all about it here.
The playoff structure has come under fire recently - mainly by Dodgers, Braves, and Orioles fans it must be said - but Rob Manfred answers back. Read it all here.
LINEUPS
The Home Team
Astros Batting Order
1. Altuve (2B) *R
2. Bregman (3B) *R
3. Álvarez (DH) *L
3. Abreu (1B) *R
5. Tucker (RF) *L
6. McCormick (LF) *R
7. Dubón (CF) *R
2. Peña (SS) *R
9. Maldonado (C) *R
The Visitors
Rangers Batting Order
1. Semien (2B) *R
2. Seager (SS) *L
3. Garver (DH) *R
4. García (RF) *R
5. Carter (LF) *L
6. Heim (C) *S
7. Lowe (1B) *L
8. Jung (3B) *R
9. Taveras (CF) *S
STARTING PITCHERS REGULAR SEASON STATS
HOUSTON ASTROS
Justin Verlander (RHP)
13 - 8
3.22 ERA
144 K
162.1 IP
1.13 WHIP
TEXAS RANGERS
Jordan Montgomery (LHP)
10 - 11
3.20 ERA
166 K
188.2 IP
1.19 WHIP
PITCHING
The Rangers will start Jordan Montgomery tonight, and he has been the shining star of these playoffs for them. This will be his third road start this October, blanking the Rays over six in the Wild Card, before giving up five runs in four innings in the ALDS.
Before joining the Rangers at the deadline, Monty dominated the Astros with his old team, the Cardinals, holding them to two runs in 6.2 innings, notching up ten strikeouts. If his stuff is on today, he could be a huge headache for Houston, but by the same token, if anyone can hit him, you have to think that these Astro bats can.
On the other side of the equation you have the Astros starting Saint Justin himself, Justin Verlander. What can be said about him more than already has been written? He is a guaranteed Hall of Famer, now in his ninth ALCS appearance, trying to make it to his sixth World Series.
Last season, he lit up baseball with his injury comeback, winning the Cy Young and the World Series. Houston, as a city, mourned his exit to the Mets, and collectively cheered his return at the trade deadline. His ALDS outing against the Twins was flawless, blanking them through six.
WELCOME!!!!
Welcome to the Diario AS USA live commentary of Game 1 of this historic All-Texas ALCS matchup between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
This game has been over 50 years in the making. The Astros spent most of their existence in the National League, not joining the American League until just a decade ago.
The Rangers started life in Washington DC before relocating to Dallas in 1972. Since then, they have appeared in only three Al Championship Series’, winning two - in 2010 and 2011. Neither World Series appearance ended in a Rangers victory.
The Rangers are johnny-come-lately to the party, turning a turgid season last year around with a dominant 2023, picking up some big names and strong arms, none bigger than Bruce Bochy.
The Astros have been the poster boys for excellence over the past decade of their tenure in the American League, appearing in eight of the last nine post seasons, going 2 - 2 in the World Series.
More than a simple in-state rivalry, more than a divisional rivalry, this will be a head-to-head duel between two of the best baseball minds that have ever been part of the game. Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy both have 26 years as a manager, with Baker winning 2183 regular season and 54 post season games to Bochy’s 2093 regular and 49 playoff. But Bochy has the edge in pennants with 4 to Baker’s 3 and while Baker has one World Series title to his name, Bochy has done it three times.
Throughout the 2023 regular season, the Rangers were firmly in the driving seat in the AL West, with Houston trailing; sometimes nipping at their heels, sometimes falling way back, but always in the hunt. Then, with autumn looming, the Rangers fell into a funk, driven by injury to their bullpen, and a falloff in production in an offense that led MLB throughout the season in runs scored.
As the Rangers tumbled, the Astros closed and overtook them on the very last day of the season, winning the division and the bye with it.
The Rangers were all out of sorts until suddenly... they weren’t.
Whoever finished the season with a series loss in Seattle, it certainly wasn’t the same Rangers who showed up in Tampa. They dismantled the Rays in the Wild Card series before making short shrift of the Baltimore Orioles in the Division Series.
While the Astros romped past the Minnesota Twins, as expected, they were perhaps a little surprised to find the Rangers joining them in the Championship Series.
It is not a secret, certainly not in Texas anyway, that the Astros consider themselves to be a cut above their in-state rival. And to be fair to them, it would be difficult to come to any other conclusion when you consider that just five weeks ago, they swept the Rangers with almost no resistance.