World Series berths were once again on the line tonight. Atlanta had one more chance to clinch after taking three games, while Houston and Tampa faced off in a decisive Game 7 after Houston won three consecutive games to erase Tampa’s initial 3-0 series lead.
Series tied 3-3
W: Walker Buehler; L: Max Fried; S: Kenley Jansen
The Dodgers came out swinging against Fried, scoring three runs in the first inning. Corey Seager and Justin Turner had back-to-back jacks. Seager’s bomb was his fifth of the series, a National League Championship Series record. The three runs were all the Dodgers needed, as Buehler pitched six scoreless innings with six strikeouts to save the Dodgers’ season. Atlanta’s only run came on a Ronald Acuña Jr. double in the 7th inning.
NLCS Game 7 will air at 8:15 PM ET on FS1/Rogers SportsNet. Ian Anderson (3-2, 1.95 ERA) will take the ball for Atlanta. The Dodgers starter/opener remains TBD.
Rays win series 4-3
W: Charlie Morton; L: Lance McCullers Jr. S: Pete Fairbanks
The Rays rewarded MLB fans who ardently desired the defeat of the cheating Astros. Tampa starter Morton, who was a member of the 2017 Asterisks, pitched 5.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, allowing just two hits. He got the hook in the 6th inning after José Altuve singled with one man on and two outs in a decision that was controversial with fans but not unusual for analytics-first manager Kevin Cash. Nick Anderson recorded the final out of the inning when Michael Brantley grounded out to second base.
The Rays struck early with two runs in the first inning on a home run by rookie hero Randy Arozarena. Arozarena was named the ALCS MVP after going 8-28 (.286) in the series with four home runs. He has seven postseason home runs, setting a rookie record.
Houston scored two runs on Carlos Correa‘s single in the 8th inning, but Fairbanks struck out Alex Bregman to end the scoring threat en route to a four-out save. The Rays will face the National League pennant winner in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday, October 20 at 8:09 PM ET (Fox/Rogers SportsNet).
Featured Image: Mini collectable Rays helmet by LunaseeStudios / Shutterstock.com.
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