Postseason 2023 | Rangers stun the Astros, first World Series in 12 years. The D-backs force Game 7

Cuban MLB Players News for the 2023 postseason. A compendium from several sources

Oct 23

American League Championship Series

Rangers 11, Astros 4

Rangers won the series 4-3

For the third time in franchise history, and first since 2011, the Rangers are going to the World Series, while the Astros are returning home.

In Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, the Texas Rangers stunned the Houston Astros 11-4.

Houston went 7-22 in its final 29 home games in 2023.

In the ALCS, the road team won every game. The road team has won all seven games of a best-of-seven series twice in MLB history. Likewise, the Astros lost the 2019 World Series to the Washington Nationals.

In this postseason, Texas is 8-0 on the road, which ties the 1996 New York Yankees for the longest winning streak on the road.

The Game

The series between the Astros and Rangers for the American League Championship should have been about Yordan Álvarez and the Astros, but it was instead about another Cuban: Adolis García.

In Game 7 of the ALCS, the Cuban went 4-for-5 offensively and finished with two home runs and five RBIs.

Adolis García's production on Monday night had these lines:

• With five home runs in the series, he is second only to Nelson Cruz's six during the 2011 ALCS.

• He has the most RBI in a single postseason series with 15

• Rangers franchise record of 20 RBIs was set by him

• The two home runs he hit in Game 7 put him on a list that only Yogi Berra (WS-1956), Jason Giambi (ALCS-2003) and Johnny Damon (ALCS-2004) can boast of

• Since the statistic became official in 1920, his streak of six consecutive games with at least one RBI is the longest in a postseason series

• Among his postseason RBIs before the World Series, he has the most in a series, and he is second in a full postseason, behind only David Freese, with 21 in 2011

• With four consecutive home run games, he ranks 4th in postseason home run streaks, only behind Daniel Murphy (6-2015), Giancarlo Stanton (5-2020), and Carlos Beltrán (5-2004)

Following the American League Championship Series, Adolis was named the series' Most Valuable Player. During the 2023 ALCS, García went 10-for-28 with five homers and 15 RBIs.

He is now the third Cuban from 2020 to date to win the ALCS trophy, joining Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay-2020) and Yordan Álvarez (Houston-2021).

There were other players who shined in this Game 7.

The entire team combined for 15 hits, with Corey Seager going 3-for-5 with a home run in the first inning that gave the team the lead, Aaron Carter adding two RBI and Nathaniel Lowe homering as well.

Both teams used 13 pitchers in the game, but Texas looked better, especially after taking an 8-2 lead in the fourth inning, when Dusty Baker inexplicably left rookie reliever J.P. France on the mound.

After beating the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday night, the Rangers are guaranteed home-field advantage in the World Series, regardless of who wins Game 7 of the NLCS on Tuesday.

The first game of the 2023 World Series will be played at Globe Life Field on Friday, Oct. 27.

Adolis García had four hits, blasted a pair of home runs (homering for the fourth consecutive game), drove in five runs and swiped a base on Monday night, leading the Rangers to an 11-4 victory over the Astros in Game 7 of the ALCS — punching their ticket to the World Series.

García lined an RBI single off the top of the left field wall in the opening inning, increasing the Rangers’ early lead to 2-0. He then swiped second base and scored on an RBI knock by Mitch Garver. García then clobbered a 368-foot opposite-field homer off of Hunter Brown in the third inning that made it 4-1. He also added a two-run single in the fourth inning then added a 340-foot solo shot off of Jose Urquidy in the eighth inning to cap off the Rangers’ scoring. The 30-year-old slugger was absolutely incredible during the series. He homered in each of the last four games and drove in a run in each of the last six games. For the postseason, he’s hitting a .327 (17-for-52) with seven homers, a jaw-dropping 20 RBI and 10 runs scored to go along with the base that he swiped on Monday night. He’ll look to continue his power binge against either the Phillies or the Diamondbacks when the World Series gets underway on Friday.

Yordan Álvarez went 3-for-4 with a triple in a 11-4 loss to the Rangers in Game 7 of the ALCS on Monday.

In Game 7, Yordan Álvarez tried everything he could, but it wasn't enough. In Game 7 he singled and tripled and collected his 15th ALCS RBI. In addition, he was also intentionally walked. With his three hits on Monday Álvarez had 6 straight multi-hit games, the longest streak all-time in a single postseason. For the 2023 postseason, he put a terrific .465 (20-for-43) with six homers, 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored.

National League Championship Series

D-backs 5, Phillies 1

Series tied 3-3

In the NLCS Game 6 on Monday evening, the Arizona Diamondbacks prevailed over the Philadelphia Phillies. The 5-1 win by Arizona forces a Game 7, which will be played on Tuesday.

The pennant winner will face the Rangers in the World Series in 2023.

If the D-backs win again, they'll reach their second World Series in franchise history. The The D-backs won the 2001 World Series beating Mariano Rivera and the Yankees in the last inning of Game 7.

This was a game in which the D-backs never trailed, taking the lead in the second inning and holding it the entire time.

With three of the last four games won by the D-backs, the best-of-seven NLCS is now tied, 3-3.

In Game 6, the Phillies lost for the first time at Citizens Bank Park in these playoffs and against an NL opponent at home since 2011.

Tommy Pham and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit back-to-back home runs for the D-backs in the second inning against Phillies starter Aaron Nola. Ketel Marte also went 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBI.

They never looked back.

In addition, Kelly pitched a gem for five innings, allowing just one run on three hits before being removed.

The bullpen also shined, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just three hits.

Game 7 will be tomorrow night.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went back-to-back with teammate Tommy Pham in the second inning on Monday, leading the Diamondbacks to victory over the Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS.

Pham opened the scoring in the ballgame with his solo blast off of Aaron Nola to begin the second inning. Gurriel Jr. followed with a 403-foot (106.3 mph EV) blast of his own to make it a 2-0 ballgame. The 30-year-old outfielder finished the afternoon 1-for-4 and is now hitting .227 (10-for-44) with two homers, six RBI and one stolen base on the postseason.