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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (KTRK) — Six is good, but seven is better.
The Houston Astros again made good on their outstanding road record and finished off the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, taking the second of two American League Division Series games at Target Field. The Astros won Game 1 in Houston as part of the best-of-five series.
Jose Abreu’s two-run home run in the fourth inning was the difference-maker in the 3-2 victory in Game 4, which was rescheduled from the early afternoon to primetime.
Before that, Houston’s Michael Brantley launched a round-tripper in the second inning to answer a Royce Lewis homer in the first inning to tie the game, 1-1.
After the first inning, the Astros’ starting pitcher, Jose Urquidy, held Minnesota hitless for the following four innings until a Edouard Julien solo homer in the sixth.
Urquidy’s line for the night: five and two-thirds innings pitched, three hits, two earned runs, a walk, and six strikeouts on 82 pitches thrown.
Houston faced a slew of Minnesota bullpen arms, led by Joe Ryan’s two-inning opening.
Urquidy gave way to scoreless innings by Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu, and closer Ryan Pressly, who shut the door on Minnesota, where he spent his first six MLB seasons.
The win earns the Astros an AL-best seventh-straight AL Championship Series appearance and a historic first-ever playoff meeting with their in-state rivals, the Texas Rangers.
ALCS Game 1 is set for Sunday.
2023 ALCS schedule, Astros vs. Rangers, best of seven games
- Game 1: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, Oct. 15
- Game 2: Rangers at Astros, Monday, Oct. 16
- Game 3: Astros at Rangers, Wednesday, Oct. 18
- Game 4: Astros at Rangers, Thursday, Oct. 19
- Game 5: Astros at Rangers, Friday, Oct. 20*
- Game 6: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, Oct. 22*
- Game 7: Rangers at Astros, Monday, Oct. 23*
* – if necessary
Game times TBD.
ALCS tickets go on sale
It’s not unusual for an MLB team to start selling tickets to future playoff series, especially when the ball club hasn’t punched its ticket to the next round.
The Astros opened up sales for all four home games of the ALCS before Game 4 on Wednesday. Since the Rangers advanced as a wild-card team and lost the tiebreaker to the ‘Stros for the AL West title, Houston would hold homefield advantage in this round.
Game 1 at Minute Maid Park is set for Sunday, Oct. 15, followed by Game 2 at the same venue on Monday, Oct. 16.
Houston would host if-necessary Games 6 and 7 on Sunday, Oct. 22, and Monday, Oct. 23, respectively.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, standing-room-only tickets for Game 1 remained, valued at $129 each.