MLB playoff highlights: Rangers blow out Astros to win ALCS Game 7, reach World Series
The Texas Rangers are going back to the World Series after an 11-4 blowout win over the Houston Astros in Game 7 at Minute Maid Park. The Astros are the only franchise in MLB, NBA or NHL history to lose a seven-game series by dropping four games at home, and now they have done so twice — in the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals and in this ALCS against the Rangers.
Adolis García led the way with an incredible two-home run, five-RBI performance, embracing his role as the villain after his role in Game 5's bench-clearing incident that left Bryan Abreu suspended for the first two games of the 2024 regular season for hitting García. Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe also homered in the stunning rout.
Bruce Bochy became the first manager to lead three different teams to the World Series — the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants (with whom he famously won three titles in the 2010s), and now the Rangers.
Earlier, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 at Citizens Bank Park in Game 6 behind eight strikeouts from Merrill Kelly, forcing a Game 7 in that series Tuesday.
Here are the top moments from both thrilling playoff games!
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros (on FOX and the FOX Sports app)
Seager second deck!
Corey Seager made what John Smoltz called a "shock value statement" as the second batter of Game 7, depositing a solo home run into the second deck at Minute Maid Park.
Adolis adds another!
Even though he failed to hustle out of the batter's box on his line drive off the left-field wall, Adolis García still drove in a second first-inning run by bringing him Evan Carter with his long single.
A bloop follows the blast!
Neither Chas McCormick nor Michael Brantley could get to Mitch Garver's bloop single as the Rangers increased their lead to 3-0.
Javier already out of the game
Cristian Javier, who had allowed just five total hits over his sterling postseason career, was pulled in the first inning after allowing four — and three runs — to the Astros while recording just one out.
Abreu gets one right back!
A single down the left-field line by Jose Abreu allowed the Astros to claw one back against Rangers starter Max Scherzer, though he got Michael Brantley to ground into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.
Adolis AGAIN
García now has a home run of his own in Game 7, his fourth straight game with a homer, to add another run.
Bregman hits it out!
Alex Bregman brought the deficit back down to two with a solo home run of his own off the pillar below the train tracks in left field as the home crowd erupted.
Game 7 Evan!
Rangers rookie Evan Carter continued to rake, as his bases-loaded double down the right-field line gave Texas two more runs.
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Who else but Adolis?
García has four RBIs in four innings already in Game 7, increasing the Rangers' lead to 8-2. He is now up to 14 RBIs in this ALCS, a postseason series record. The previous mark was held by Nelson Cruz, who was the Rangers' right fielder the last time they were in the ALCS in 2011.
Vibes not great in Houston
The Astros are either about to make a historic rally or lose all four games of a seven-game series at home for the second time in five postseasons.
Bryan Abreu in the game… and hits another Rangers slugger
Abreu, whose two-game suspension was upheld but deferred to 2024, hit Mitch Garver with a fastball that clearly took off on him and was not intentional. Garver was in pain but remained in the game.
Lowe lines one!
Nathaniel Lowe took Abreu deep with a line drive that just cleared the wall — and Kyle Tucker's glove — in right field to give the Rangers a 10-2 lead.
ADOLIS GARCÍA IS MAKING HISTORY
As MLB on FOX field reporter Tom Verducci explained why he predicted to Ken Rosenthal before the game that the Rangers would blow out the Astros, García piled on with his fifth ALCS home run 15th RBI, the best in MLB history over a single series.
FINAL: Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Philadelphia Phillies 1
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Full highlights below:
Three Ks!
Aaron Nola had Citizens Bank in a frenzy to open the affair, as he struck out the D-backs' first two batters, before Gabriel Moreno smacked a single up the middle. Nola bounced back quickly though, mowing down Christian Walker with a fastball.
Made 'em pay
In the second, things looked much different for Nola on the bump. Tommy Pham silenced the Philly crowd with a line drive home run on a hanging curveball to give Arizona a 1-0 lead.
Back to back!
Enter Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who got a fastball he liked and put it over the left field wall to double the D-backs' lead.
Trifecta
Make that 3-0 Arizona. Evan Longoria jumped all over a first-pitch heater from Nola in his first at-bat, scoring Alek Thomas from first base.
Back to life!
JT Realmuto brought the Philly crowd back to life by opening the second inning with a double. Brandon Marsh came up big for his teammate in scoring position, turning on an inside pitch for a double of his own for the Phillies' first run.
Three-bagger!
Nola settled into a groove in innings three and four, but in the fifth, Arizona broke through again, taking a 4-1 lead with a double from Corbin Carroll, followed by an RBI triple by Ketel Marte.
Streaky swingin'
Ketel Marte matched the MLB's postseason record earlier by hitting safely in his 15th straight game. He collected hit number two in this one to push Arizona up 5-1 in the top of the seventh.
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