HOUSTON — Adolis García and the Texas Rangers faced a hostile Houston crowd on the verge of elimination at Minute Maid Park. The defending champions loomed, and tensions were high. García struggled with four strikeouts and erratic swings for eight innings, succumbing to the jeers.
However, the magic of the postseason had yet to reveal itself.
In the ninth inning, with the game still within reach and the bases loaded, García seized the moment. He connected with a Ryne Stanek fastball, propelling it into the ballpark’s Crawford Boxes. This time, García rounded the bases with a more subdued demeanor after his Game 5 theatrics. The Rangers took a commanding 9-2 lead and kept their season alive.
While García’s heroics were significant, the game’s defining moment may have occurred earlier. The Texas Rangers had a precarious bullpen tasked with securing eight outs. The heart of the Houston lineup, including Brantley, Bregman, and Alvarez, awaited their turn. This was the juncture where the Rangers were expected to falter, their previous postseason success teetering on the edge of collapse.
In the seventh inning, with one out and Jose Altuve on base, Texas manager Bruce Bochy had no choice but to turn to his bullpen. He called upon Josh Sborz, a 29-year-old pitcher from Virginia, who had struggled during the regular season but had found his groove in the playoffs. Sborz induced a crucial double play from Michael Brantley, momentarily easing the tension in the Texas dugout.
Yet, the drama was far from over.
In the eighth inning, Sborz still on the mound, Alex Bregman and Jose Abreu reached base with just one out. Manager Bochy, taking his time, made his way to the mound and signaled for relief pitcher Jose Leclerc. Leclerc, who had faltered in Game 5, faced a daunting task. With a walk to Kyle Tucker, the bases were loaded, and Mauricio Dubón stepped up to the plate, bearing the weight of an opportunity to prolong a dynastic run for the Astros. However, Dubón could only muster a soft line drive to shortstop, and pinch-hitter Jon Singleton struck out, allowing Leclerc to breathe a sigh of relief.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Rangers’ offense clinched the victory. García’s grand slam, alongside home runs from Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim, solidified another outstanding performance by Nathan Eovaldi, now 4-0 for the Rangers this postseason.
Despite an early lead for Houston, thanks to a run scored by Alvarez in the first inning, their offense fell flat with only six hits in total. The Rangers defied their supposed weaknesses and thwarted the threat of elimination for another day.
Now, the series is tied at 3, with Max Scherzer set to start for the Rangers in Game 7. The Astros will counter with Cristian Javier. The winner will advance to the World Series.
GO DEEPER
Adolis García, Rangers get ‘baseball justice,’ force a Game 7
(Photo: Troy Taormina / USA Today)
