Five thoughts: Benches clear, bullpen collapses as Rangers blow Game 5 in loss to Astros
Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead, 3-run home run in the 9th to give the Astros a stunning 5-4 win in ALCS Game 5.
Five fast and furious thoughts from ALCS Game 5, in which the Rangers lost to the Astros 5-4 on Friday evening at Globe Life Field. The Astros lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Game 6 is at 7:03 p.m. CT Sunday at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Nathan Eovaldi will try to keep the Rangers alive.
What it means: You didn’t think the Rangers’ bullpen, with the worst save percentage of any team to ever make the playoffs, wouldn’t have an impact on the postseason at some point, did you? They just picked an awful time to cough up their first save.
An inning after the benches cleared, José Leclerc allowed a single to pinch hitter Yainer Diaz to start the ninth, then walked pinch hitter Jon Singleton. It brought up Jose Altuve, who has done nothing but punish Rangers mistakes in this series. Altuve got an 0-1 changeup inside and drove it just over the glove of leaping Evan Carter. It sucked the air right out of the 41,519 fans at Globe Life Field, who only moments earlier had been on the verge of a 3-2 lead in the series going back to Houston.
Instead, the Rangers face elimination if they lose again on Sunday.
Are you not entertained: The Rangers season is on the brink, but what an amazing baseball game. Emotions between the two teams finally boiled over after Adolis García changed the game with a three-run homer and mighty big celebration in the sixth. Two innings later, Bryan Abreu hit him with a 98.9 mph first pitch fastball aimed directly at his elbow/rib cage.
García immediately turned to Astros catcher Martín Maldonado and started pointing his finger. The two have history of clapping at each other, dating back to 2021. Most recently, Maldonado chirped at García following a homer in Houston that led to the benches clearing. In both previous instances, García tried to walk away from any confrontation. Not Friday. He wanted a piece of Maldonado and had to be pulled away on more than one occasion. It ultimately led to the ejections of Abreu, Houston manager Dusty Baker and García.
The big question: Whether there will be any disciplinary action to follow. A suspension of García, even for a game, would change the complexion of the series dramatically. MLB reviews all ejections.
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