A couple of late comebacks made Friday the most dramatic night of baseball’s postseason so far.
Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning and the Houston Astros, following another bench-clearing scuffle with the rival Texas Rangers, rallied for a wild 5-4 victory in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series.
A few hours later in Phoenix, pinch-hitter Alek Thomas tied the score with a two-run homer in the eighth and Gabriel Moreno followed with a go-ahead single as the Arizona Diamondbacks stunned the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 to even the NLCS at two games apiece.
That marked the first time in major league history two teams rallied to win postseason games on the same day after trailing by two runs or more in the eighth inning or later.
After taking all three matchups at streaky Texas, the defending World Series champion Astros head back home to Houston needing one win to capture a third consecutive AL pennant. They lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven playoff going into Game 6 on Sunday night.
The 5-foot-6 Altuve connected off Rangers closer José Leclerc for his 26th career postseason homer, second in big league annals behind Manny Ramirez (29).
“This dude is one of the baddest dudes I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen some greats,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said.
Alex Bregman homered early for the Astros, José Abreu had an RBI single and Ryan Pressly pitched two scoreless innings for the win after an eighth-inning dustup led to three ejections — including Baker being tossed.
Under a closed roof at Chase Field, the Diamondbacks trailed 5-2 before Christian Walker drew a bases-loaded walk from rookie Orion Kerkering with two outs in the seventh.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled leading off the eighth against Craig Kimbrel, who gave up Ketel Marte’s game-winning single in Game 3. Thomas, batting for Emmanuel Rivera with one out, sent a full-count fastball splashing into the right-center field swimming pool to make it 5-all as a sellout crowd of 47,806 roared.
Marte singled with two outs and Corbin Carroll was hit by a pitch before Moreno singled off José Alvarado to cap Philadelphia’s second consecutive bullpen flop.
Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday night, with Zack Wheeler (2-0, 2.37 postseason ERA) starting for the reigning NL champion Phillies against Zac Gallen (2-1, 4.96). Game 6 will be back in Philadelphia on Monday.
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.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Astros are 40-45 at home this year, losing three of four in the AL playoffs. But they have won 19 of their last 22 road games, including all five in the postseason.
“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen because usually you want to be .500 on the road and way over .500 at home,” Baker said. “I asked the team in spring training to be the best road team. Maybe I should have asked them to be the best road and home team. They usually give me what I ask for.”
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.
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
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
