HOUSTON — Nathan Eovaldi remained perfect this postseason, and Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim homered early before a ninth-inning grand slam by Adolis García helped the Texas Rangers avoid elimination with a 9-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series on Sunday night.
Eovaldi, who also got the win in Game 2, yielded five hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in the playoffs this year.
The decisive Game 7 is Monday night in Houston, where the Rangers, one of six major league teams without a World Series title, need a win to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since back-to-back trips in 2010-11.
The defending World Series champion Astros were again felled by a subpar start from Framber Valdez and lackluster play at home. Valdez was charged with five hits and three runs with six strikeouts in five innings to fall to 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA this postseason.
The Rangers led by two before breaking the game open with a five-run ninth, punctuated by the slam from García, who struck out his previous four times up. The slugger was booed throughout the game after being at the center of a bench-clearing scuffle in Game 5 after being hit by a pitch from Bryan Abreu.
When García knocked a pitch from Ryne Stanek into the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out in the ninth, many of those fans began streaming for the exits after yet another poor home showing by Houston.
The Astros, who are 5-0 on the road this postseason, won three in a row in Arlington wearing their orange jerseys to move within a win of reaching their third consecutive World Series. But it didn’t help them carry their road magic home as they fell to 1-4 in Houston this postseason after posting a 39-42 mark at Minute Maid Park in the regular season.
This series joins the 2019 World Series, which Houston lost to Washington, as the only best-of-seven series in postseason history in which the road team won the first six games.
Houston led by one after a first-inning RBI single by Yordan Alvarez. But Garver tied it on his solo shot to start the second.
Heim connected off Valdez for the second time this series with a two-run shot with two outs in the fourth that put Texas on top 3-1.
Houston got within 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubón in the sixth. But the Rangers got some insurance from an RBI double by Garver with one out in the eighth off Abreu.
It’s the first time the Rangers have won an elimination game in the postseason since Game 5 of the 2010 ALDS at Tampa Bay when Cliff Lee pitched a complete game in a 5-1 Texas victory. They’d lost five straight such games and Sunday’s win was just their second in eight tries.
The Astros had a shot to cut the lead late before Garcia’s big swing, but José Leclerc came through after giving up the decisive three-run homer to Jose Altuve in the ninth inning of Game 5.
Josh Sborz walked Alex Bregman to start the Houston eighth and struck out Alvarez before José Abreu singled with one out.
Leclerc took over and walked Kyle Tucker to load the bases before Dubón lined out softly to shortstop. Pinch-hitter Jon Singleton, who entered with one career postseason at-bat, batted for Jeremy Peña and struck out against Leclerc to end the threat.
Alvarez got Houston’s first hit since the first inning with a single with no outs in the sixth. Abreu singled on a grounder to right field before Tucker grounded into a force out that left him out at second and sent Alvarez to third.
The sacrifice fly by Dubón sent Alvarez home to cut the lead to 1. But Peña grounded out to end the inning.
The Astros looked good early against Eovaldi. Altuve hit a leadoff single and stole second base before Brantley walked. There was one out in the inning when Alvarez lined a single to center field to score Altuve and make it 1-0. Eovaldi limited the damage when Abreu lined out before Tucker struck out.
Garver sent the first pitch of the second inning into the seats in right field to tie it at 1-all. The ball was caught barehanded by a man in the second row.
Nathaniel Lowe singled after that, but Josh Jung grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Valdez didn’t allow another baserunner until Garver singled with two outs in the fourth. Heim followed with his shot to right field to make it 3-1. The ball sailed just past the glove of a leaping Tucker and into the first row. Heim, who had a career-high 18 home runs in the regular season, also homered off Valdez in Game 2 of this series.
Bryan Abreu pitched the eighth inning for Houston after appealing the two-game suspension he was given by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at Garcia.
Bryan Abreu's hearing is Monday before John McHale Jr., special assistant to Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Evan Carter singled off Bryan Abreu to start the eighth before he struck out Adolis Garcia. Bryan Abreu allowed a run-scoring double by Garver before retiring the next two batters to end the inning.
Series recap
- Game 1: Game highlights: Rangers shut out Astros in Game 1 of ALCS
- Game 2: Game highlights: Astros' comeback bid falls short in Game 2 loss to Rangers
- Game 3: Game highlights: Javier's strong start leads Astros to win over Rangers in Game 3 of ALCS
- Game 4: Game highlights: Abreu, Alvarez, Altuve help Astros even ALCS with win over Rangers in Game 4
- Game 5: ASTROS WIN! Altuve's blast lifts Houston to 5-4 game 5 win and 3-2 ALCS lead | See highlights
First inning
Houston 1, Texas 0
Marcus Semien walked on the first four pitches of the game and then Valdez got Corey Seager to pop out for the first out two pitches later. Robbie Grossman struck out looking and Adolis García struck out swinging to end the inning.
Altuve singled through the right side to open the home half of the inning and stole second during Michael Brantley's at-bat. Brantley ended up working a walk. Alex Bregman then flew out to center for the first out. Yordan Álvarez delivered a single to right-center field that scored Altuve and gave the Astros the lead.
José Abreu lined out and Kyle Tucker struck out swinging to end the inning.
Second inning
Houston 1, Texas 1
Mitch Garver homered to right on the first pitch of the inning to tie the game.
Jonah Heim grounded out and Nathaniel Lowe singled. Josh Jung then grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Mauricio Dubón grounded out, Jeremy Peña struck out looking and Martín Maldonado grounded out to end the inning.
Third inning
Houston 1, Texas 1
Leody Taveras grounded out, Semien popped out to first and Seager struck out swinging to end the inning.
Altuve flew out to center and then Brantley walked for the second time in the game. Bregman went down looking and Álvarez was intentionally walked after Eovaldi threw two balls to start his at-bat. Abreu grounded out to end the inning.
Fourth inning
Texas 3, Houston 1
Grossman flew out to center, García struck out swinging and Garver singled through the left side of the infield to keep the inning alive. Heim then connected on a two-run homer to put the Rangers in the lead.
Lowe grounded out to end the frame.
Tucker fouled out on the first pitch of the inning. Dubón and Peña grounded out to end the inning.
Fifth inning
Texas 3, Houston 1
Jung struck out swinging and then Taveras reached on an infield single. Semien walked and Seager lined out for the second out of the inning. Evan Carter, who came on as a defensive replacement for Grossman in the fourth inning, struck out swinging to end the inning.
Maldonado got hit by a pitch to start the inning. Altuve fouled out and Brantley went down swinging for the second out. Bregman fouled out to end the inning.
Sixth inning
Texas 3, Houston 2
Phil Maton relieved Valdez to start the sixth inning and got García swinging for the first out. Garver popped out and Heim grounded out to end the inning.
Álvarez singled to center on the first pitch of the inning. Abreu then singled through the right side and Tucker grounded into a fielder's choice, leaving runners at the corners with one out. Dubón delivered a sacrifice fly to cut into the Rangers' lead.
Peña grounded out to end the inning.
Seventh inning
Texas 3, Houston 2
Hector Neris took over for Maton in the seventh. Lowe grounded out for the first out and then Jung walked on four straight pitches. Taveras popped out and Semien singled to left to keep the inning alive for the Rangers. Seager grounded out to end the inning.
Maldonado opened the home half of the seventh with a lineout to left. Altuve singled to center and that marked the end of Eovaldi's night. Josh Sborz came on in relief and got Brantley to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Eighth inning
Texas 4, Houston 2
Bryan Abreu came on in relief of Neris to start the inning. Carter reached on an infield single and stole second base during García's at-bat, which ended with a swinging strikeout for the first out of the inning. Garver delivered an RBI double to left field to increase the Rangers' lead.
Travis Jankowski came on to pinch run for Garver and Heim flew out to left. Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning.
Bregman walked to lead off the inning. Álvarez struck out swinging for the first out. José Abreu singled through the left side, which marked the end of the line for Sborz. José Leclerc came on to face Tucker, who walked to load the bases. Dubón lined out for the second out of the inning. Jon Singleton pinch-hit for Peña and struck out swinging in a full count to end the threat.
Ninth inning
Texas 9, Houston 2
Rafael Montero relieved Bryan Abreu and walked Jung to open the inning. Taveras reached on an error and Semien singled to load the bases with no outs. Ryne Stanek came on for Montero to face Seager, and hit him in the foot, scoring a run and increasing Texas' lead. Carter struck out swinging for the first out. García then connected on a homer to the Crawford Boxes.
Jankowski and Heim flew out to end the inning.
Andrew Heaney came on to close out the game for the Rangers. Yainer Díaz pinch hit for Maldonado and grounded out for the first out. Altuve grounded out and Brantley grounded out to end the game.