*Photo from the Los Angeles Times*
Houston wins series 3-1
The Houston Astros are motivated. Everyone on the Astros said so. Carlos Correa homered, drove in 5 runs, and the Astros beat the Oakland Athletics by an 11-6 score. The Astros earned their 4th straight ALCS appearance, making the World Series twice in the 3 years prior to this one.
The A's got the scoring started in the second inning, when Ramon Laureano hit a 3 run homer to center field, making it 3-0 early. In the 4th, Correa hit a 3 run homer, and Michael Brantley hit a two run bomb, putting the Astros ahead 5-3. In the 5th, Laureano hit a solo homer, making the Astros lead 5-4. In the bottom of the 5th, Brantley hit a solo homer, and Correa hit an RBI single, extending the lead to 7-4. In the 6th, Kyle Tucker and Correa each hit RBI singles, making it a 9-4 Astros lead. In the 7th, Jose Altuve hit a two run homer to make it 11-4. Oakland got two more runs in the 9th, but that was all they could muster.
Cristian Javier got the win for Houston, throwing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 3 hits and striking out 4 hitters. Zack Greinke got the start, throwing 4 2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and one walk, striking out 4 hitters. Ryan Pressly shut down the A's in the 9th to secure the series win for Houston. Blake Taylor and Enoli Paredes each got appearances for the Astros as well.
Correa addressed the motivation after the game, saying that "We're motivated because we want to win, we want to be able to bring another championship to the city of Houston, we know what it feels like, so we want to be able to have that feeling once again. … We're one step closer."
The Astros offense surged in this series, which made manager Dusty Baker happy. Baker said that "It feels good to score some runs, when you're hitting and scoring runs, the game is exciting and everybody is happy. The jubilation I hear in the clubhouse, boy it's been a long, tough road but we're halfway there. I'm thankful and happy, but I've still got some happiness left to get."
A's outfielder Mark Canha said of the elimination that "It just hurts. It hurts a lot, we worked so hard and competed, and it was kind of a crazy year. It felt like this was our year and a lot of things happened, like the Chapman injury. To lose a guy like that is tough, yet we win a tough postseason series against the White Sox. There are positives and negative inconsistencies."
Manager Bob Melvin addressed the pitching issues, saying that "I think in the postseason, you tend to go to your bullpen a little bit earlier when you have a strength, we just couldn't hold them down in any facet as far as the pitching went. We had some stretches where we did. But nothing sustained through nine innings. That's why they won the series."
The Astros move to the ALCS, where they will face either the Yankees or the Rays. Oakland heads home for another long offseason.
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