Randy Arozarena tied the first game of the ALCS on his fourth home run of the postseason, aptly during the fourth inning. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

After scoring 33 runs against the Athletics in the ALDS, one would have every reason to assume that the Houston Astros would continue to mash their way to victory in the first game of the American League Championship Series. Yet, for the second consecutive ball-game, the Tampa Bay Rays came back from an early deficit to take the lead in the series. Blake Snell and four relievers combined to hold Houston in check — stranding 10 base runners in the process — en route to a 2-1 win on Sunday.

Juego G., James Shields, technically opened the game for Tampa Bay, throwing just one pitch before he handed it off to the bulk guy.

I digress.

Blake Snell got the start and battled his way through five innings on 105 pitches (61 strikes, 58% strike rate, 20% SwStr%), allowing multiple base runners in three of five frames. Yet, the lefty gave up just one run on six hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Snell threw only nine of 21 first-pitch strikes.

The only run of the game came on a Jose Altuve homer to left-center on a first-inning 2-1 fastball at the top of the zone. It was Altuve’s fourth homer in 16 at-bats against Snell.

He also got a little defensive help from his friends, as Snell picked a runner off in the third inning, and benefitted from a line-drive double play turned by Willy Adames in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Framber Valdez struck out the side on just 11 pitches in the first inning, which set the tone for his outing.

Even so, Tampa Bay tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Randy Arozarena homered 413 feet to center field, his fourth of the postseason.

Then Tampa Bay took the lead for good in the fifth. Willy Adames walked on a borderline full-count pitch and went to second then third on a pair of comebackers to Valdez. Mike Zunino plated the go-ahead run on a first-pitch single through the shift for the deciding run.

Be that as it may, Tampa Bay left a lot of chicken on the bone, stranding two runners on base in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, and going 1-8 wRISP overall. The best chance came in the seventh inning when Kevin Kiermaier slashed a leadoff double into the left-field corner, but never advanced.

John Curtiss continued his redemption tour after a subpar start to the postseason in game one of the ALDS, replacing Snell in the sixth and battling through a scoreless frame by working around a leadoff single and a two-out walk. Curtiss got Aledmys Diaz to ground out in front of the plate to end the frame. Zunino fielded the ball moments before it rolled foul and fired it off to Yandy Diaz at first to pour cold water on the threat.

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Ryan Thompson followed Curtiss with a perfect seventh against the team that originally drafted him, striking out a batter.

Still, Aaron Loup got himself in a world of trouble in the eighth, starting with a hit by pitch of Michael Brantley on the first pitch of the at-bat. He was able to strike Alex Bregman out, but Loup uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Brantley to move into scoring position. Carlos Correa then walked on a full count pitch before Kyle Tucker singled to left, loading the bases.

Loup could neither command nor control his arsenal, forcing the hand of Kevin Cash to call upon Diego Castillo. Yuli Gurriel, one Houston’s best hitters in clutch situations, grounded the first pitch he saw to Brandon Lowe, who turned a 4-3 double play.

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Castillo took the mound again in the ninth. Diaz flew out to left to start the frame, although pinch-hitter, Josh Reddick, singled through the right side and Myles Straw pinch-ran. George Springer grounded wide of first with Mike Brosseau flipping to Castillo for the second out of the frame while Straw moved into second. Finally, Castillo finished off Altuve and the Astros with a sick 89 mph slider to catch the demure second baseman swinging.

The New What Next

Charlie Morton (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will get the start in the second game of the series, pitching opposite of Tampa native Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0, 9.00 ERA).

Charlie Morton had a strong outing in his first playoff start of the year on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks over five innings on 86 pitches (55 strikes, 64% strike rate, 19% SwStr). Morton ran into trouble during the third inning but stranded the bases loaded after allowing just a run. He also stranded a runner on second base after surrendering a run-scoring double during the fifth inning. Morton is 4-6 with a 6.28 ERA in 11 career regular-season starts against his former team and went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in two postseason starts last year (including a 5 IP/3 H/1 R/9 K/2 BB outing against Houston in the ALDS).

Lance McCullers Jr. lasted just four innings in Game 1 of the ALDS against Oakland on Monday, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk while striking out five. McCullers gave a two-run shot to Khris Davis in the second inning followed by solo shots to Sean Murphy and Matt Olson over the next two frames. He was pulled from the game after allowing the leadoff runner to reach base in the bottom of the fifth; he would eventually come around to score to add a fifth run to McCullers’ line. McCullers relies primarily on a 94 mph sinker with some natural sinking action and a hard and whiffy 84 mph curveball with sharp downward bite and slight glove-side movement, while also mixing in a firm 86 mph changeup that dives down out of the zone. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 3.79 ERA in three career starts against Tampa Bay. Key Matchups: Willy Adames (1-2), Manuel Margot (1-3), Joey Wendle (1-3)

You can read about the series in our preview, while the starting lineup is below

Rays 10/12/20 Starting Lineup

  1. Meadows DH
  2. B. Lowe 2B
  3. Arozarena LF
  4. Choi 1B
  5. Margot RF
  6. Wendle 3B
  7. Adames SS
  8. Kiermaier CF
  9. Zunino C

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