The Houston Astros, who became the first Major League team to advance to the League Championship Series for seven consecutive years, are definitely different. Houston, which advanced to the World Series four times and won two championships during this period, has fall DNA. The LA Dodgers, who cringe every time a big game, have a lot to watch and learn.
Houston defeated the Texas Rangers 8-5 in Game 3 of the 2023 Major League Baseball Postseason American League Championship Series (ALCS, best of 7) held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on the 19th (Korean time). They followed up with a series record of 1 win and 2 losses, increasing their chances of advancing to the World Series for the second year in a row.
Starting pitcher Christian Javier once again demonstrated his ability as a ‘big game pitcher’ by giving up 2 runs in 5⅔ innings, while Jose Altuve played well with 2 hits, including a solo home run in the 3rd inning. Even catcher Martin Maldonado, who has a weak batting average with a batting average of .100 for the third straight year, hit two hits, hitting a decisive two-run RBI hit in the second inning against Texas starter Max Scherzer.
Houston lost the first and second games at home, losing to Texas. Texas defeated the Tampa Bay Rays with two straight wins in the Wild Card Series and the Baltimore Orioles with three straight wins in the Division Series, then pushed on to Houston and won all seven games of the postseason.
Momentum, atmosphere, and flow are important in short-term games, but Texas’ rising mood was unusual. Although they went on the road with two losses at home, Houston did not panic. As a strong team that has advanced to the championship series for seven consecutive years for the first time in the major leagues since 2017, they fought back and won one game in the third away game.
According to MLB.com, Houston designated hitter Jordan Alvarez, who hit a timely hit in the 8th inning, asked after the game, “Did you think we were panicking?” and then added, “The characteristic of our team is that we don’t panic. “As you can see on the faces of all the players, they are not embarrassed and full of confidence,” he said.
Second baseman Jose Altuve, who was the main culprit of the loss in Game 1 due to a fatal pass by Nu while chasing in the 8th inning, also announced his resurgence on this day by breaking the silence of 18 consecutive no-hit at-bats. Altuve, who hit his 25th home run in the 99th game of his postseason career, trailed Manny Ramirez (29) for the all-time lead in this category by four. With his 33rd multi-hit game, he ranked 3rd in postseason multi-hit games, following Derek Jeter (58) and Bernie Williams (36).
Houston coach Dusty Baker said, “Altuve plays every day. Even if he has a bad performance in one at-bat, he hits a hit in the very next at-bat. He’s one of the best players of all time in the playoffs and we love him. Houston fans love him too. He is a fan favorite. “I enjoy watching him play every day,” he said, praising Altuve for his strength in big games.메이저놀이터
Houston, who began a counterattack with a win in Game 3, is aiming for a second straight win by starting right-hander Jose Urquidi in Game 4. For Texas, left-hander Andrew Heaney is scheduled to start.