Framber Valdez tries to pitch the Astros to their second straight World Series appearance when Houston tries to win the American League pennant in Game 6 of the Championship Series against the Texas Rangers on Sunday night.
After losing the first two games at home, the Astros finished a three-game sweep at Arlington with a testy 5-4 win in Game 5 on Friday behind Jose Altuve’s three-run homer in the ninth off José Leclerc.
The Astros went 39-42 in Houston during the regular season and their home woes have continued this postseason, where they are 1-3. They have won 19 of their last 22 road games, including all five in the postseason.
“What can I say? If I had the magic words, I would have said them like two months ago,” manager Dusty Baker explained. “We’ve just got to get it done. There are no words that can describe what we have to do. Simply action.”
This year’s ALCS between Texas and Houston marks the first League Championship Series in which the visiting team won the opening five games. The previous time that occurred in any postseason series was 2019, when Washington defeated the Astros in a seven-game World Series in which only road teams won.
Houston went 9-1 at Texas this year, winning the last eight meetings while outscoring the Rangers 79-36.
BACK IN PHILADELPHIA
After an off-day Sunday, Philadelphia tries to clinch its second straight World Series trip when it hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Monday.
Aaron Nola (3-0, 0.96 ERA postseason) starts for the Phillies and Merrill Kelly (1-1, 3.00 ERA) for the Diamondbacks in a matchup of right-handers.
“We’re very respectful of where we’re going and the team that we’re playing,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I believe in the guys to go out there and execute and play at a higher level and make plays and do things right.”
After the Phillies’ 6-1 win in Game 5, Philadelphia’s starting pitchers have a 1.48 ERA in this postseason with 67 strikeouts and just seven walks in 61 innings.
Philadelphia lost last year’s World Series to Houston in six games.
It’s really hard to do, making it to the World Series, so two teams to make it there back-to-back would be pretty awesome,” Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler said. “We can’t think ahead too much. We have to play the game on Monday and get back to Philly where we like to play.”
SUSPENDED
Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu was suspended for two games and fined Saturday by Major League Baseball, which said he intentionally threw at Adolis García of the Texas Rangers during Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.
MLB said all six umpires decided Abreu’s pitch was intentional. MLB said it “took into account the dangerous nature of the pitch and its potential impact on player safety.”
Abreu would start the suspension with Game 6 on Sunday unless he appeals. His pitch started a benches-clearing incident that led to a 12-minute delay before play resumed.
The suspension was announced by MLB senior vice president Michael Hill. An appeal would be heard by John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.
García and Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. were fined along with Texas pitcher Matt Bush. McCullers and Bush are being prohibited from sitting on their team benches for the rest of the series.
Houston manager Dusty Baker was fined for his actions following his ejection. Baker remained in the Astros dugout for six minutes before leaving for the clubhouse.
BETTING FAVORITES
The Astros are the current betting favorites to win the World Series at -105, followed by the Phillies (+210), Diamondbacks (+500), and Rangers (+700), according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
OLD BUT NOT JUST OLD-SCHOOL
Baker and Texas’ Bruce Bochy are the two oldest managers in the majors and are squaring off in the ALCS.
Those around the 74-year-old Baker and 68-year-old Bochy say the key to their success isn’t just experience and old-school grit, but also their willingness to adapt in baseball’s analytics age.
Houston owner Jim Crane wasn’t turned off by the fact Baker was 71 when he interviewed to manage the team after A.J. Hinch was fired in the wake of the team’s sign-stealing scandal in 2020. In fact, he believed his reputation and decades in the game were just what the Astros needed to help repair their tattered reputation.
“His experience and the experience of dealing with pressure and players and a lot of different situations — that was very appealing,” Crane said. “He’s a smart guy. Once you visited with him a couple of times, you realized how bright he was, how well he knew the game. And he embraces the analytics, but he also goes old-school. So you’ve got a good blend.”
Rangers GM Chris Young said people asked him about hiring an “old-school manager” when he brought Bochy to Texas this offseason. He pushed back on the assertion that Bochy was old-school simply because he was old.
“I feel the exact opposite,” he said. “I think that if you’re stuck in your ways, you don’t last. And these old managers who have lasted last because they evolve and they’re open-minded and they grow. I think that’s an important attribute to recognize with Boch. He’s been wonderful. I absolutely love working with him.”
PHILLY SPECIAL
Should the Phillies win the World Series, save a spot at the end of the Broad Street parade route for Calum Scott.
The British singer with the pop hit about loneliness and heartbreak insists he’s coming to Philly and wearing the jersey the team sent him last season as a thank you for his part in making “Dancing On My Own” a staple of the postseason soundtrack at Citizens Bank Park.
Scott is as amazed as anyone the song has improbably bloomed into a playoff anthem for the Phillies, who won the National League pennant last year before losing to Houston in the World Series.
“They win the World Series, I’m there, man,” Scott said. “I think at that point, you’ll have to hold me back.”
HOW TO WATCH
TBS is broadcasting the NLCS. Fox and FS1 are carrying the ALCS.
POSTSEASON SCHEDULE
League Championship Series: Oct. 15-24
World Series: Oct. 27-Nov. 4
