Rangers vs Astros summary online: stats, scores and highlights | MLB ALCS Game 7 highlights
Rangers win American League!
Rangers dismantle Houston to claim American League
The Texas Rangers had an up and down season, looking by turns unstoppable and unwatchable. They dipped, flagged, bent and wavered but never did they break.
From the last day of the regular season, coming off a stretch of mediocrity, the Rangers somehow flipped a switch and became that unstoppable force again.
The Houston Astros made it sporting, handing the Rangers three home defeats to push them to the brink of elimination. But in the end, the Rangers, and specifically one man, woke up.
ALCS MVP Adolis García went 4-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs in Game 7. He has been the emotional backbone of this team all season, but after the loss in Game 5, he kicked it into a higher gear.
Garcia now has more RBIs in a post season series than anyone else in history. He has hit 20 RBIs in the post season up to now, the most ever pre-World Series. He is on fire.
The Rangers will meet the winner of Game 7 of the NLCS, the Phillies or Diamondbacks, in Game 1 of the World Series set for Friday at Globe Life Field.
While the Rangers deficiencies on the mound were meant to dominate the story lines, it was in the end one element managed well. Max Scherzer was pulled early and relieved by another starter, Jordan Montgomery. Given that the Rangers now have three days rest before the World Series, this was a brilliant tactic. Rather than overtax his bullpen, splitting the starting duties, getting three-plus from two starters, leaves Bruce Bochy's rotation intact and rested for the Fall Classic.
One thing is certain though. Whoever they face, they will have their hands full with this Texas Rangers team.
Goodbye!
That is going to do it for our live coverage of ALCS Game 7 between the Rangers and the Astros. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Keep abreast of all MLB and sports news with Diario AS USA and stick with us as we bring you the full playoff season live.
We will return tomorrow with the Diamondbacks vs Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS.
Until then, good night and God bless!
RANGERS WIN! AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!
Kyle Tucker up now and the Astros are down to their last out. He chops one to second and Marcus Semien goes to first for the last out! The Rangers have won the pennant! American League Champions!
Michael Brantley the hitter and he runs the count full. Leclerc's payoff is popped straight up to short. Corey Seager puts it away.
José Abreu up now and he rips a single to right field. Bregman advances to second on the play.
Yordan Álvarez the hitter and he fouls off three pitches before whiffing at a low slider for strike three. One down.
Alex Bregman up now and he draws a walk on five pitches.
Bottom 9th
José Altuve will lead things off for Houston and they are down to their final gasp. The first delivery is smashed further than any other hit today! That was a huge home run to left field! He pulls one back for Houston and they trail 11-4!
Pitching change
José Leclerc will take over for Texas and try to send the Rangers back to the World Series for the first time in over a decade!
Corey Seager to the plate and he drives a long one to the warning track in right, but Kyle Tucker is under it to end the inning.
Marcus Semien the hitter and he rips the first pitch into left field for a single.
Leody Taveras up now and he gets two quick strikes before hitting one to short for Peña. The play to first and we have two out.
Top 9th
Josh Jung will lead things off for Texas and he runs the count full. The payoff delivery from Stanek is grounded to short for Peña. The throw to first gets the out.
Pitching change
Ryne Stanek will come out and try to shut down the Rangers once more
Yainer Díaz up now and he drives a fly ball to right field but Garcia gets to it to end the inning.
Jeremy Peña the hitter and there are runners on first and second with one out. He lifts one out to right field for Adolis Garcia. Kyle Tucker tags up and advances to third on the play.
Hit by pitch
Chas McCormick up now and he falls behind on the count 0-2. Chapman delivers a 104 mph fastball that hits McCormick in the hamstring. That is brutal!
Thankfully he is ok.
Kyle Tucker the htter and he he rips a bullet to second, but Marcus Semien can't get to it. Tucker is in with a one out single.
Bottom 8th
Michael Brantley will lead off for the Astros and he pulls one to first base for Nathaniel Lowe, who will take it to the bag himself. One away
Nathaniel Lowe to the plate now and he works the count 2-2. He fouls three off and the seventh delivery from Urquidy catches him swinging at a beautiful changeup.
That will end the inning, but El Bombi puts another one on the board and it is now 11-3!
Jonah Heim the hitter now and he lifts the first delivery to second, a high pop up. Altuve brings it down for out number two.
Jankowski loops a single into left field.
Pinch hitter
Travis Jankowski will hit for Mitch Garver.
ADOLIS GARCIA HOME RUN!
Adolis Garcia up now and he crushes the first delivery to left field! It is a mile high and goes out of here! Another Adolis Garcia home run! He is now the proud new owner of the Houston Astros!
Top 8th
Evan Carter leads things off for Texas here in the eighth and he takes a strike before fouling one off. He is in a hole 0-2.
Urquidy delivers a fastball and Carter slaps it to short. Peña goes to first and it is one away.
José Abreu now and he jumps on the first pitch, chopping it to second. Semien goes to first and ends the inning.
But the Astros pull one back and it is Houston 3, Texas 10 after seven.
ASTROS SCORE
Yordan Álvarez will face the new pitcher and Chapman goes straight at him with a 100mp fastball for a strike. He goes back to the well and Álvarez sticks it back up the middle for a single. Bregman scores from second! The Astros chip away and pull one back.
Pitching change
Bruce Bochy will stride out to the mound and take the ball off Sborz. The Rangers will call on Aroldis Chapman to get out of this inning.
Double
Alex Bregman the hitter and Sborz goes to work with his breaking balls, missing two and getting two called. The 2-2 delivery misses low and the count is full.
The payoff is smashed into the gap in left center! It rolls to the wall and Bregman is in with a standup double!
José Altuve up now and he gets a called strike, a swinging strike, and two fouls, all on curve balls. A slider misses and it is 1-2.
Sborrz goes back to the curve and Altuve slaps it to third for Jung. The throw to first in time. Two down
Bottom 7th
Yainer Díaz leads off for Houston and he lifts the second delivery to right field for Adolis Garcia. One away.
Corey Seager up now and he punches the first pitch into center field, but Chas McCormick is able to get to it and put it away to end the inning.
Marcus Semien up now and he rips the first pitch, right on the screws but straight at Alex Bregman. Two away
Top 7th
Leody Taveras leads things off for the Rangers here in the seventh as Yainer Diaz replaces catcher Martin Maldonado. The count runs to 2-1 before Taveras lifts a fly ball out to center for Chas McCormick. One out.
Pitching change
José Urquidy comes out to take over on the mound for the Astros.
Jeremy Peña the hitter and he watches a strike and a ball before fouling two off. The 1-2 delivery is nubbed in front of the plate. Jonah Heim jumps on it and fires it to first to end the inning.
Chas McCormick the hitter now and he fouls one off before lifting a fly ball to right field for Adolis Garcia. Two gone.
Bottom 6th
Kyle Tucker leads off for the Astros in the sixth and he lays off two balls before fouling one off. The 2-1 delivery is hit hard to deep center field, but Leody Taveras is there to put it away. One out.
Pitching change
The Rangers will call on their bullpen now and ask Josh Sborz to take over on the mound.
Josh Jung up now and he pokes a roller to second. Altuve fields it and goes to first to end the inning. But not before the Rangers stretch their lead by two more. In the middle of six, it is Rangers 10, Astros 2.
NATHANIEL LOWE HOME RUN!
Nathaniel Lowe up now and he lifts a high shot to right field. Tucker goes to the wall, leaps and it is just out of his reach! Another home run for Lowe! Two more runs for Texas!
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Jonah Heim the hitter and he fouls off two before watching a called strike three on a curve that catches the outside corner.
Hit by pitch
Mitch Garver up now and the first two miss low before the third one hits him in the ribs. Exactly the same pitch, same placement as the one that hit Garcia.
Garver has the wind knocked out of him. Eventually, he makes his way to first.
Top 6th
Adolis Garcia leads off for the Rangers and this is the matchup that has caused a lot of the bad blood between these two teams during this series.
Garcia lifts a pop up to first base for José Abreu. One down.
Pitching change
The Astros will bring on Bryan Abreu to take over on the mound.
Michael Brantley up now and he goes after the first pitch, grounding it to short for Seager. The throw to first ends the inning.
José Abreu the hitter and Monty works the bottom of that zone on him. Two miss and Abreu swings at two.
The 2-2 delivery is fouled off and we do it again. Another foul.
The seventh delivery of the at bat is lifted to right field for Adolis Garcia. Two down
Yordan Álvarez up now and he rips a shot to left field for a one out single. He has now been on base all three times that he has been up tonight.
Bottom 5th
Alex Bregman leads off the bottom of the fifth for Houston and chases the first delivery, grounding it hard to short. Seager fields it, goes to first. One away.
Evan Carter the hitter adn he fouls two off before the third delivery is popped up to shallow center field. jeremy Peña drifts back and take it to end the inning.
Corey Seager up now and he is 3 for 3 and with a home run, a single, and a double. A triple away from the cycle. Not this time though as Neris pitches around him and he draws the walk on four pitches.
Marcus Semien now and he jumps on the first pitch, popping it up to first base for the second out.
Top 5th
Leody Taveras leads off for Texas and he swings through the third strike for the first out.
José Altuve the batter and he takes a curveball outside for ball one. A sinker catches the edge for a strike before a changeup misses outside.
The 2-1 delivery is in the dirt and it is 3-1.
Monty's delivery a sinker that Altuve lifts to right field to end the inning.
Martín Maldonado up now and he takes a strike with men on first and second and one out. The second pitch is lifted to right field for Adolis Garcia. Two down.
Jeremy Peña the hitter and now it is the turn of Montgomery to struggle. Three balls before Peña rips a base hit into right center. McCormick goes to second on the play.
Chas McCormick up now and he pokes a single through to right field. That is what Houston needs! Get em on, move em over, knock em in.
Bottom 4th
Kyle Tucker leads off for Houston in the fourth and they need a response quickly, more for a mental boost than anything else. The Astros are more than capable of making up ground but they need something to boost them now.
Monty delivers three breaking balls and gets Tucker out swinging.
Josh Jung up now and the bases are loaded with two outs. The Houston crowd is stunned. They are virtually silent.
Neris misses with two before getting Jung to swing at a couple and even the count.
The 2-2 delivery is rolled to short for Peña. He jumps, twists and makes the long throw to first. In time!
The Rangers have opened this game up, jumping all over Houston with a four run inning. In the middle of four it is 8-2!
Nathaniel Lowe the hitter and he draws a walk on four pitches.
Pitching change
That is going to be it for JP France. The Rangers jumped all over him. Dusty Baker calls on Hector Neris to take over.
Jonah Heim up now and he rips one to first base. Abreu catches it on the bag. The first base umpire calls it fair, but the home plate umpire over rules him and calls it foul! Strange. It looked fair.
Heim is given a lifeline and he slaps a single into right field! Garcia advances to third on the play.
Mitch Garver the batter and he lifts a high pop up to short stop. Jeremy Peña puts it away for the second out.
RANGERS SCORE
Adolis Garcia up now with runners on second and third and one out. He smacks a single into left field and two runs score! Corey Seager scores from third! Evan Carter scores from second!
RANGERS SCORE
Evan Carter the hitter now and he rips a shot down the line in right! Fair! Josh Jung scores from third! Marcus Semien scores from second! Corey Seager advances to third!
Corey Seager hacks a hot shot to first that Abreu can't handle. He knocks it down! It rolls away from everybody and all the runners advance. Everybody ends up safe!
Marcus Semien the hitter and he draws a walk on four pitches. Runners now at first and second.
Leody Taveras up now and the count runs to 2-2. France catches him swinging at a curveball that just dropped off the table!
Top 4th
Josh Jung leads off for the Rangers and France has trouble finding the zone, throwing three balls. He finally finds it with a fastball that Jung hits to just below the roof and waaaay back in left, but hooking foul. Wow!
The next pitch is fouled back and the count is full. France's payoff pitch is rapped into left field for a leadoff single.
Pitching change
The Astros will bring on JP France to take over on the mound.
Michael Brantley will face the new pitcher and he hits one right on the screws but straight to Corey Seager at short to end the inning.
The Astros bring one back though on a massive Alex Bregman home run. This is still a ballgame! After three it is Texas 4, Houston 2
Pitching change
Bruce Bochy is protecting Scherzer's shoulder and comes out to get him after just 44 pitches. He will go to his battered bullpen and ask for Jordan Montgomery to take over.
José Abreu up now and he gets in a hole 0-2. He has a runner on third and only one out.
Abreu chops one to third. Josh Jung looks Álvarez back to the bag and goes to first for the second out.
Triple
Yordan Álvarez up now and he fouls off five in a row. 0-2
The seventh delivery from Scherzer is crushed to the left field wall! Evan Carter goes up for it but can't get it! It comes off the wall and Álvarez is chugging away and is in with a standup triple!
ALEX BREGMAN HOME RUN!
Alex Bregman the hitter and he blasts a huge shot off the left center field wall! It is above the line! Home run Alex Bregman!
Bottom 3rd
José Altuve leads off in the third and he chops the second pitch up the middle, but Marcus Semien gets to it. The throw to first is good and it is one away.
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Nathaniel Lowe the hitter and he takes three strikes to end the inning. Never swung the bat.
Jonah Heim up now and he fouls two off to dig himself a hole.
The 0-2 is fouled off and we do it again. Brown misses with a breaking ball. 1-2
He tries it again, and again it misses. 2-2
A ball high runs the count full. Brown's payoff pitch is grounded to second for Altuve. The throw to first is out number two.
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Mitch Garver the hitter and he takes three balls before getting a fastball strike.
The 3-1 delivery from Brown is fouled back and the count is full.
Brown's payoff pitch is called strike three.
Top 3rd
Adolis Garcia leads off for the Rangers and he cranks a huge drive into the upper deck in right field! It squeaks inside the foul pole for another home run! Adolis Garcia has earned the right to pimp that one!
Martín Maldonado up now and he gets rung up on three straight pitches, swinging through a nice slider.
The 2-2 delivery from Scherzer gets Peña swinging at a high fast ball for strike three.
Stolen base
Jeremy Peña the hitter and with the 2-2 delivery, McCormick takes off for second. The throw from Heim is high and McCormick is in there with a stolen base!
Chas McCormick the hitter now and he runs the count to 3-1 before drawing the walk on five pitches.
Bottom 2nd
Kyle Tucker will lead off for the Astros and he goes after the first pitch, lifting a routine fly ball to left field for Evan Carter. One out.
Evan Carter up now and he takes two fastballs outside and one that catches the bottom edge. The 2-1 delivery is another fastball, same spot and no swing is offered. 2-2
Another fastball and it is slapped to third for Alex Bregman. The throw to first ends the inning.
Double
Corey Seager the hitter and he takes a ball outside before swinging through a high splitter. The 1-1 delivery misses low and the next misses outside.
The 3-1 offering from Brown is ripped to the gap in left center field! It rolls to the wall, and Seager has a double!
Top of the order now and Marcus Semien up for Texas. Brown misses high with a slider before offering a fastball to center field, but Chas McCormick is under it for the second out.
Top 2nd
Leody Taveras will lead off for the Rangers and he works the count to 3-1 before chopping one to short for Peña. The throw to first gets out number one.
Pitching change
The Astros are suddenly in a bullpen situation this game and go to Hunter Brown on the mound.
Double play
Michael Brantley up now with runners at the corners. He jumps on the first pitch and rolls it to second. Semien goes to second for one, on to first for the second and the inning is over. 4-6-3 double play, but the Astros claw one back.
After the first inning it is Rangers 3, Astros 1.
Astros score
José Abreu the batter now with runners on first and second and one out. A curve ball misses low and a fastball for a strike before Abreu hacks one down the third base line and into left! It bounces off that wall kind of funny and Altuve scores! Álvarez goes to third!
Intentional walk
Yordan Álvarez up now and Scherzer's first three deliveries miss outside. The 3-0 delivery won't come as they decide to give him the intentional walk.
Alex Bregman will hit now and he works the count 2-2
He chops the next one to short for Corey Seager. He holds Altuve at second and goes to first for the out.
Bottom 1st
The Rangers take the field and go to work behind Max Scherzer. He will face José Altuve to lead off and Altuve jumps on the first pitch, sending it long to left! It comes off the wall for a leadoff double!
The scoreboard in that wall is actually broken where that ball hit.
Josh Jung up now with two on and two out. The first pitch a slurve for a called strike. The second one misses outside before the third gets Jung swinging. The 1-2 delivery is outside and Jonah Heim steals second on defensive indifference. Maton goes to his fastball after all those breaking pitches and Jung can't catch up to it, swinging through strike three.
What an opening salvo from Texas! The score three runs to get things going.
Nathaniel Lowe will stand in now against the new pitcher. He gets a called strike and then fouls one off. A quick 0-2
Garver is at third, Heim at first. Maton's delivery a curve missing outside. 1-2
Maton goes back with that curve, this one a beauty and Lowe goes down swinging.
Pitching change
That is going to be it for Cristian Javier and Dusty Baker will go to his bullpen and ask Phil Maton to get out of this.
Jonah Heim up now and he falls behind 0-2. The third delivery is ripped to left for a single. Mitch Garver advances to third.
Rangers score
Mitch Garver to hit now and he lifts a shot left center field. Michael Brantley has a lot of ground to cover and he dives but can't get it! Garcia scores from second! Garver is in with a double!
Rangers score
That stolen base pitch was a strike and Garcia fouls another off. 1-2
Javier misses with a slider outside to even the count. 2-2
The payoff delivery is high but Garcia ripped it to left field! It hits the top of the wall and Carter will score! Garcia stood there and admired the hit, meaning that he turned a double into a single.
Stolen base
Adolis Garcia to the plate now. The first pitch misses high and on the second delivery, Evan Carter takes off! The throw from Maldonado is a good one, but Carter beats it! Stolen base.
Evan Carter the hitter now and he works the count full. The payoff delivery from Javier just misses for ball four. The Rangers got lucky there, that looked good.
COREY SEAGER HOME RUN!
Corey Seager up now and he unloads on a fastball up in the zone! It is crushed! It goes a long way to right field and the Rangers make a statement early with a Corey Seager home run!
Semien takes a fastball high for ball one to get things going. The second delivery is chopped to short for Jeremy Peña. the throw to first gets him. One gone
First pitch
The Astros are on the field and ready to go to work behind Cristian Javier. He will face Marcus Semien at the top of this Rangers lineup.
The crowd is ready, the umpires are ready.
Let's PLAY BALL!
STARTING LINEUPS
The Home Team
Astros Batting Order
1. Altuve (2B) *R
2. Bregman (3B) *R
3. Álvarez (DH) *L
4. Abreu (1B) *R
5. Brantley (LF) *L
6. Tucker (RF) *L
7. McCormick (CF) *R
2. Peña (SS) *R
9. Maldonado (C) *R
The Visitors
Rangers Batting Order
1. Semien (2B) *R
2. Seager (SS) *L
3. Carter (LF) *L
4. García (RF) *R
5. Garver (DH) *R
6. Heim (C) *S
7. Lowe (1B) *L
8. Jung (3B) *R
9. Taveras (CF) *S
STARTING PITCHERS REGULAR SEASON STATS
HOUSTON ASTROS
Cristian Javier (RHP)
10 - 5
4.56 ERA
159 K
162.0 IP
1.27 WHIP
TEXAS RANGERS
Max Scherzer (RHP)
13 - 6
3.77 ERA
174 K
152.2 IP
1.12 WHIP
PITCHING
The Rangers will go with Max Scherzer despite questions raised in Game 3 after spending a month on the injured list. He took a pounding for five runs then, but he has tons of experience in big games and if anyone can bounce back it is Mad Max. He is a shoo-in Hall of Famer and has a ton of playoff experience, including a World Series win from his time with the Nationals.
The Astros will start Cristian Javier who has been up and down in this rotation this season, but has rebounded in the playoffs, throwing five two-run innings in Game 3. One thing that Javier has is post season experience. At only 26 years old, he already has 17 post season games under his belt. Nothing that the Rangers throw at him will make him nervous.
WELCOME!!!
Welcome to the Diario AS USA live commentary of Game 7 of this historic All-Texas ALCS matchup between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
This is the Game 7 that his series deserves! What a ride!
The Astros are old hands at pulling off miracles, and the Rangers have been the most breathtaking team in baseball all season. Granted, there have been ups and downs, peaks and troughs, but in the end, they have been spectacular at every turn.
This ride through the ALCS has been the antidote for a postseason made boring by sweeps across the board. No Wild Card or Division drama, nothing for fans to get their teeth into. But Houston and Texas went to battle and have made this a series to remember.
The big news as we head into this final game is that Houston will have Bryan Abreu in their lineup. His two game suspension was upheld, but MLB agreed to let him serve it at the beginning of next season rather than have the playoffs, and possibly the World Series marred by accusations that Houston was hamstrung.
For those of that sort of bent, there are some interesting stats. One is that, so far, the home team has not won a game in this ALCS. Another is that of the two almost-certainly Hall of Fame managers, Dusty Baker has never won a Game 7, while Bruce Bochy has never lost a Game 7.
One big question mark over tonight’s game will be on the mound, as Texas goes with Max Scherzer, despite the disappointing outing in Game 3.