ARLINGTON, Texas — José Abreu hit a three-run homer right after Yordan Alvarez's tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and the Houston Astros pulled even in the AL Championship Series with a 10-3 victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 4 on Thursday night.
Houston, which led 3-0 only four batters into the game, responded immediately after Texas got even on Corey Seager's opposite-field homer in the third inning.
Adolis García also homered for the wild-card Rangers, who have dropped two games in a row at home after starting this postseason with seven consecutive wins — six on the road — that included sweeps of the AL's two winningest teams, Baltimore and Tampa Bay.
Game 5 is Friday afternoon at Globe Life Field, where the Astros are 8-1 this season. This ALCS, in which the home team hasn't led yet, then switches back to Houston for Game 6 on Sunday night.
Jose Altuve had three hits and scored three times in his 100th career playoff game. Alvarez drove in three runs, giving him 13 RBIs already this postseason, and Chas McCormick added a two-run homer.
Dane Dunning, who entered in relief in the first inning, had an 0-2 count against No. 9 batter Martin Maldonado to open the fourth with the game tied before walking him and then Altuve.
Mauricio Dubón followed with his second soft single of the game before Alex Bregman struck out with the bases loaded. Rookie lefty Cody Bradford then came in to face Alvarez, whose 401-foot sac fly to the warning track in center field came on the ninth pitch. Abreu then hit his fourth homer this postseason to make it 7-3.
Ryne Stanek got the victory while throwing only one pitch, inducing Mitch Garver's inning-ending double-play grounder in the third.
The Astros have outscored Texas 74-32 in winning their last seven games at Globe Life. That includes their 8-5 win in Game 3 of the first postseason series between the instate AL West rivals.
Altuve opened the game with a double and Dubón, after three hits in Game 3, followed with a bloop single off Andrew Heaney. Bregman drove both home with a triple into the right-center gap, and the Rangers already had Dunning up in the bullpen before Alvarez singled to make it 3-0.
Seager became the first shortstop to homer in both the NLCS and ALCS with his 401-foot solo drive to left-center with one out in the third. Astros starter José Urquidy then gave up back-to-back singles before Stanek took over.
The Rangers were down 7-3, but had two on with no outs in the fifth when a finger of Marcus Semien’s batting glove was the difference between a lineout and a crucial double play. The Rangers baserunner was sliding back to the bag at first base after Abreu snagged Corey Seager’s 108.6 mph liner, lunging to tag Semien just as his hand reached the bag, and first base umpire Jordan Baker signaled safe.
The Astros challenged, and the video review showed Abreu’s glove grazing one of the fingers on the batting glove in Semien’s back pocket as the finger popped into the air from the rear pocket. Texas had only two more baserunners after that play.
BIG PRODUCTION
Alvarez and Abreu are the first teammates in postseason history with at least four homers and 10 RBIs in a team's first eight playoff games.
SEAGER DINGERS
Seager was with the Los Angeles Dodgers when they played 16 neutral-site playoff games at Globe Life Field while winning the World Series title in 2020. Seager was MVP in both the NLCS and World Series. He hit five homers in that seven-game NLCS, two in the World Series and has two here this postseason. He also went deep in their Game 3 AL Division Series clincher at home over Baltimore.
UP NEXT
Game 5 will be rematch of the trade-deadline acquisitions who started the series opener. Rangers left-hander Jordan Montgomery threw 6 1/3 innings in Game 1 as Texas won 2-0. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who allowed both runs over six innings, will make his 21st career postseason start for the Astros. They got him back from the Mets after he made only 16 starts in New York this year after going there in free agency.
FOR STARTERS
It was the first time in Heaney's 156 career starts (154 regular season and two postseason) that he didn't make it out of the first inning. The left-hander was done after a two-out walk. He allowed of the seven batters he faced to reach base. ... Urquidy, who allowed three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings, entered the game 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA in seven career starts against the Rangers.
OPEN ROOF
A game was played at Globe Life Field with the roof open for the first time in nearly five months. It was 78 degrees under clear skies when the game began. Texas was 7-4 during the regular season with the roof open, the last game being May 21. The roof was open for 13 of the 16 neutral-site postseason games in 2020, including three of the six World Series games.
Updates and highlights
First inning
Houston 3, Texas 0
Jose Altuve led off the game with a double. Mauricio Dubon dumped a single into center, bringing up Alex Bregman, who tripled to right-center, scoring two runs.
Yordan Alvarez singled to center, scoring Bregman.
Jose Abreu grounded out for the first out of the inning. Kyle Tucker grounded out to the pitcher for the second out. Chas McCormick walked, signaling the end of Heaney's night. The Rangers brought in Dane Dunning to face Jeremy Pena, who reached on an infield single to load the bases. Martin Maldonado struck out swinging to end the inning.
Marcus Semien lined out, Corey Seager flew out and Evan Carter popped out to end the inning.
Second inning
Houston 3, Texas 2
Altuve singled through the right side of the infield to start the Astros' half of the inning. Dubon struck out swinging for the first out. Bregman walked and Alvarez grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out. Abreu grounded out to end the inning.
Adolis Garcia homered to left to start the home half of the second inning.
Mitch Garver walked and Jonah Heim flew out to center for the first out of the frame. Nathaniel Lowe doubled to left, moving Garver to third. Josh Jung hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. Leody Taveras went down swinging to end the frame.
Third inning
Houston 3, Texas 3
Tucker and McCormick grounded out and Pena went down looking to end the Astros' half of the third.
Semien fouled out and then Seager homered to center to tie the game.
Carter reached on a bloop single and Garcia singled through the left side of the infield. That marked the end of Urquidy's night. The Astros put in Ryne Stanek to face Garver, who grounded into a double play on the first pitch from the reliever.
Fourth inning
Houston 7, Texas 3
Maldonado worked a walk to turn the lineup over. Altuve also walked, bringing up Dubon, who delivered a single to load the bases. Bregman struck out swinging. The Rangers pulled Dunning in favor of Cody Bradford to face Alvarez, who delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Astros the lead back.
Abreu then delivered a three-run homer.
Tucker flew out to center to end the inning.
Hunter Brown relieved Stanek and worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.
Fifth inning
Houston 7, Texas 3
Chris Stratton relieved Bradford and got McCormick to line out to left. Pena struck out looking and Maldonado went down swinging to end the frame.
Brown stayed in the game to face Taveras, who reached on a single to center. Semien followed with a single. Seager lined out to first and Semien got doubled off first. Carter lined out to center to end the inning.
Sixth inning
Houston 7, Texas 3
Stratton stayed in the game to face Altuve, who grounded out to shortstop for the first out. Dubon flew out to right and Bregman worked a walk. Will Smith came on in relief of Stratton to face Alvarez, who grounded out to end the inning.
Brown got Garcia to line out to center and Garver and Heim grounded out to end the inning.
Seventh inning
Houston 9, Texas 3
Abreu opened the seventh with a walk. Tucker struck out swinging but Abreu stole second on the pitch. McCormick then connected on a two-run homer to increase Houston's lead.
Pena got hit by a pitch and Maldonado grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Phil Maton replaced Brown to face Lowe, who flew out to left, and Jung grounded out to Altuve, who made a great play.
Taveras grounded out to end the frame.
Eighth inning
Houston 10, Texas 3
Altuve led off the eighth with a double off the left-field wall off Martin Perez, who came on to replace Smith.
Dubon grounded out, moving Altuve to third, and Bregman went down looking for the second out. Alvarez singled to right, scoring Altuve.
Abreu walked and Tucker flew out to end the inning.
Maton stayed in the game to face Semien, who grounded out for the first out. Seager singled to right and Carter went down looking for the second out. Garcia struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ninth inning
Houston 10, Texas 3
McCormick, Pena and Maldonado grounded out in order in the top of the ninth for the Astros.
Rafael Montero relieved Maton to start the ninth inning. Garver grounded out and Heim worked a walk to begin the inning. Lowe struck out swinging and Jung grounded out to third to end the game.