The Astros one step closer to seventh consecutive ALCS appearance
Astros One Win Away from Seventh ALCS in a Row
After defeating the Minnesota Twins 9-1 in Game 3 of the ALDS at Target Field on Tuesday, The Astros are one step closer to their seventh consecutive ALCS appearance.
MLB on Twitter: “The reigning champs are one win away from their 7th straight ALCS. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Yh3EjrHcYV / Twitter”
The reigning champs are one win away from their 7th straight ALCS. #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Yh3EjrHcYV
Astros Went Yard All Night
José Abreu hit a three-run homer in the top of the first inning. That gave Houston a 4-0 lead before pitcher Cristian Javier took the mound. Alex Bregman hit a homer in the fifth inning, and Yordan Alvarez hit one in the ninth. Abreu hit his second homer of the night in the ninth inning as well.
Bregman said that the team was simply passing the torch to the next player and working hard to grind out at-bats. After losing Game 2 at home, the Astros were able to rebound in Game 3 and can end the series on Wednesday in Minneapolis. If the Twins win on Wednesday, they will force a Game 5 on Friday in Houston.
Houston has made it to the ALCS every year since 2017, winning their first World Series that year. The defending champions aim to become the first team since the 1998-2000 Yankees to win consecutive World Series titles.
The Astros led by José Abreu’s HRs
In his first year with Houston, Abreu had a disappointing regular season. However, he made a strong start in the postseason by hitting a three-run homer in the first inning against Twins starter Sonny Gray. This put the Astros up 4-0 after Kyle Tucker’s RBI single opened the scoring.
Abreu hit a two-run homer off Bailey Ober in the ninth inning, extending the Astros’ lead to 7-1 and finishing the game with five RBI. Abreu signed a three-year, $58.5 million deal with the Astros last winter. He spent nine seasons with the Chicago White Sox prior. Though his .237 average and .680 OPS in the regular season were career worsts, he said that he signed with the Astros to be in the best situation and compete.
Abreu’s home runs traveled 442 and 440 feet, making him the first player with multiple 440+ foot homers in a postseason game since StatCast began tracking in 2015.
Houston Pitcher Keeps Twins at Bay
Astros’ Cristian Javier had a strong outing, pitching five scoreless innings and giving up only one hit. Though he had five walks, he also recorded nine strikeouts. Javier found himself in a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fifth but struck out Max Kepler and Royce Lewis to keep the Twins off the board.
Javier has been stellar in the postseason since making his debut in 2020. He has a 1.91 ERA in 37⅔ innings. He also tossed the first six innings of the Astros’ no-hitter in Game 4 of last year’s World Series against the Phillies. Alex Bregman said that Javier is a competitor and that the team has all the confidence in him every single time he takes the mound.
Alvarez Stays Hot
Despite injuries limiting him to 114 games in the regular season, Houston’s left fielder Yordan Álvarez continued his ALDS rampage, hitting his fourth homer of the series in the ninth inning against Bailey Ober. The 26-year-old slugger had hit two homers in the Astros’ Game 1 win and another in a Game 2 loss. Álvarez racked up 31 home runs and 97 RBI in the regular season and was named AL Player of the Month for September.
MLB on Twitter: “3 games, 4 homers. Yordan Alvarez is made for the #Postseason.Just ask Jose Altuve. pic.twitter.com/gupzd5uKll / Twitter”
3 games, 4 homers. Yordan Alvarez is made for the #Postseason.Just ask Jose Altuve. pic.twitter.com/gupzd5uKll
Alex Bregman hit a solo home run off Gray in the top of the fifth. That extended Houston’s lead to 5-0. This was Bregman’s 16th career postseason home run, and with his RBI single in the sixth inning, he moved ahead of Reggie Jackson for ninth all-time with 49 RBI. Astros manager Dusty Baker said that the team is confident and has a knack of picking each other up.
Next Game
Game 4 in the ALDS between Houston and Minnesota is scheduled for Wednesday at 2:07 p.m. ET. If the Texas Rangers defeat the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, the Astros-Twins game will be moved to 7:07 p.m. José Urquidy will start Game 4 for the Astros. Urguidy has familiarity with the Twins. He beat the Twins in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series in 2020. Twins RHP Joe Ryan will make his first career postseason start on Wednesday. He has allowed 13 earned runs, nine walks, and three homers in 14 innings over three career starts against the Astros.