Playoff baseball plows ahead Sunday, as the American League presents a double showcase featuring the Texas Rangers against the Baltimore Orioles, and Minnesota Twins vs. the Houston Astros.
Texas got a Game 1 win behind a massive homer from star rookie Josh Jung, plus a clutch collective performance from its bullpen. Jung was stellar again in Game 2, ending the game as one of four Rangers with two hits. Mitch Garver was one of them. The designated hitter raked in five RBI, including four on a grand slam. Texas took a 2-0 lead in the series with an 11-8 win.
Meanwhile in Houston, Yordan Alvarez looked unflappable in Game 1, as he mashed two big homers to push the Astros past Minnesota, 4-6. José Altuve also smacked a solo shot of his own. Framber Valdez will look to continue Houston’s hot pitching start, and follow Justin Verlander’s six-strikeout performance from Saturday. He’ll be up against Minnesota’s Pablo López.
Minnesota Twins vs. Houston Astros
Familiar face
Carlos Correa’s had plenty of big hits at Minute Maid Park, and he added to that total in the first inning with a high RBI double to put Minnesota up 1-0.
PREGAME
Ready for war
Pablo López looked locked in as he headed into Minute Maid Park ahead of his start.
FINAL: Texas Rangers 11, Baltimore Orioles 8
Baltimore strikes first!
Camden Yards went berserk as Aaron Hicks plated two runners courtesy of this base hit to right field. And you have to see this nifty slide from Gunnar Henderson.
Airborne Rangers!
The Rangers weren’t moved by Baltimore’s early push, and erupted in the second inning to the tune of five runs.
Leody Taveras kicked off the rally with a two-run double to left center field, before Mitch Garver, Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim followed with an RBI single apiece to put Texas up 5-2 in the second.
Four-bagger!
Texas blew the game open in the top of the third, as Garver smoked a grand slam off Jacob Webb to put his squad up 9-2. It marked just the second grand slam in Rangers postseason history.
Mitch Garver clobbers a GRAND SLAM to extend Rangers’ lead over Orioles
Mitch Garver clobbered a grand slam to extend the Texas Rangers’ lead over the Baltimore Orioles.
Bye-bye baseball!
Henderson has had himself a heck of a season. And he continued to show out in the postseason, smacking a big fly to left field for Baltimore’s fifth run of the game.
Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson ROCKETS a solo dinger and cuts Rangers’ lead to 10-5
Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson sent a solo homer deep into center field to cut the Texas Rangers’ lead to 10-5.
History made
The Rangers took an 11-5 lead in the ninth after Josh Jung clubbed a double to open the inning, while Corey Seager made history as the first player to be walked five times in a postseason contest.
He did it again!
Hicks added three more RBI to his tally in the ninth, launching a massive homer in the bottom of the ninth to rejuvenate Camden Yards.
José Leclerc fanned Cedric Mullins two batters later though, to preserve Texas’ win.
PREGAME
Catching up with Gunnar
Just ahead of Game 2, AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Gunnar Henderson spoke with FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
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